Recipient of the Kronberg Academy’s Landgraf von Hessen Prize and a laureate of the Fondation Gautier Capuçon, Canadian cellist Michael Song has garnered recognition for uncompromising depth and sheer command of the instrument.

A young man holding a cello against a teal background.

Canadian cellist Michael Song has garnered a reputation for uncompromising depth and command of the instrument. As a soloist, he has performed across Europe and North America in a broad concerto repertoire that spans from the Classical elegance of C.P.E. Bach and Haydn to the masterworks of Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Shostakovich, and Prokofiev. In recital, Song crafts programs that blend tradition with discovery; by taking interest in forgotten gems of the past and music of the present, valuing the expression of artistry unbounded by designation.

This artistic voice was shaped largely by his studies with the figures of Gary Hoffman and Lynn Harrell. As the recipient of prizes from the Fondation Gautier Capuçon and the Kronberg Academy, he has also been influenced by Gautier Capuçon, Frans Helmerson, and many other great musicians.

Song is an artist-in-residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel; he holds degrees from the Royal Conservatory of Music and the Colburn School, where his teachers included Clive Greensmith, Hans Jørgen Jensen, Andres Díaz, and Ronald Leonard. He was supported by the Sylva Gelber Music Foundation and the Hnatyshyn Foundation, and is a Pirastro Artist.

Song performs on a 1723 Domenico Montagnana cello and a bow by Jean Pierre Marie Persoit.

Biography current as of February 2026.

This biography shall not be published with any changes. For biographies in French or German, please contact michaelsongcello.com

Logo of the Sylva Gelber Music Foundation with text in French and English.

Michael is a Pirastro Artist since 2022, and performs on Pirastro Perpetual Edition and Oliv strings.

Logo for Queen Music Elisabeth Chapel featuring a crown, with the text 'Queen Music Elisabeth Chapel' in a stylized font.