Catherine McMichael, pianist, composer, arranger and clinician, received her B.M. and M.M. in piano performance and chamber music from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Ms. McMichael is on the faculty of Saginaw Valley State University, Saginaw, MI, and maintains a small studio of private piano students. She regularly performs with the Saginaw Bay Orchestra, the Bijou Theatre Orchestra, Saginaw Choral Society, and many chamber music groups in the mid-Michigan region. She has been director of the First United Methodist (Saginaw, MI) bell choir, Bells On High, since 1999.
In honor of Bells On High’s 25th anniversary, Catherine wanted to write a piece to commemorate the event. Co-incidentally, the AGEHR was coming up on its 50th anniversary. The two significant events were the inspiration for the piece “Allegro Glorioso”, which won the AGEHR 50th Anniversary National Composition Contest, and was premiered at the National Convention in Norfolk Va, July 24, 2004, with 600 ringers, William Payn conducting. The main theme uses the letters A-G-E-H-R as its anchor.
Other published handbell pieces include “Variations on an Olde Irish Aire” (Londonderry Aire), published by Lorenz, and “Contemplation on Ubi Caritas”, published by AGEHR Publishing.
She is well known in Suzuki circles for her accompaniments to the piano repertoire, and has been a clinician at institutes across America, in England and Australia. She has written or arranged music for groups as diverse as the Canadian Brass to the Greater Boston Metropolitan Flute Orchestra, for handbell, brass, and adult vocal choirs, symphonies and string orchestras; wind ensembles and concert bands, woodwind quintets, student chamber music ensembles and professional trumpeters, saxophonists, organists and flutists. Please visit www.catherinemcmichael.com for detailed information on compositions, commissions, and concert schedules.
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