Michael O’Brien

Michael O’Brien holds a B.A from the University of Minnesota with a major in the Spanish

language. He studied bass under Anthony Cox, and West African and Haitian percussion under

Marc Anderson. He has been performing and composing Internationally for over a decade with

such notables as Harry Connick Jr., Ruben Blades, Toninho Horta, Gil Goldstein, The Merce

Cunningham Dance Co., Gene Pitney, Christine Ebersole, Dave Samuels, Pablo Ziegler, Steve

Wilson, Veronica Swift, Dave King, Matt Wilson, Victor Lewis, Gene Jackson, Alex Sipiagin,

Portinho, Sachal Vasandani, Ted Nash, Lage Lund, David Binney, Ari Hoenig, The Jazz

Mandolin Project, Robert Rodriguez, Marc Giuliana, Luba Mason, Paul Bollenback, to name a

few. Michael has performed at Festivals in Russia, Belarus, Indonesia, Haiti, Peru, Mexico,

Norway, Ukraine, D.R Congo, Angola and Japan. As well as the UNESCO International Jazz

Day, Lincoln Center Festival, JEN(Jazz Educators Network), IAJE (International Jazz Educators

conference), PASIC (Percussive Arts Societies International Convention), American Composers

Forums’ Sonic Circuits Festival. His string quartet work “Pine” was performed at the Kennedy

Center by the acclaimed string quartet Ethel. Michael has taught clinics and performed master

classes throughout the United States, Central and South America, Africa, Europe, and Japan. In

2020 he appeared in the Emmy nominated PBS documentary “More Than Just The Music”.

Since 2022. He has been performing, teaching masterclasses and holding clinics in Mauritania,

D.R Congo, and Angola via the State Departments’ African Regional Services.