About

Michael Gill is a Bay Area pianist and composer who focuses on jazz, progressive rock, and both traditional and contemporary Jewish music.

He is the founder of the award-winning Bay Area Jewish/American wedding band, “The Shtelblasters” and is a composer of vocal and instrumental music. Michael’s “Blues for Lazarus” CD features original compositions based on science fiction stories and spotlights Bay Area and Los Angeles performers including Gary Meek, Dave Weckl, Dave Koz, Tom Valdez, Callie Thomas, Dan Petruzzella, and Rob Fordyce.

As a Fellow in the Max Helfman Institute for New Jewish Music, Michael was recently one of fifteen international composers who authored a new musical “David’s Quilt” based on a biblical libretto, its world premiere in Los Angeles featuring the UCLA orchestra and chorale. Prior, Michael arranged and produced singer/songwriter Arthur Pinchev’s debut CD, “Waking Up Tunes.” Michael has recorded and performed with Boston’s folk duo David Meyer & Jonathan Nelson and with Israeli/Ladino singer-songwriter Rivka Amado.

He was recently involved in a Bay Area production celebrating the life and poetry of Israel’s national poet, Rachel, and is currently working on a musical production in honor of the upcoming 50th anniversary of the death of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, a key figure in Jewish and American social action.