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What is Michael Feinstein known for?
Michael Feinstein is known as a leading interpreter and preservationist of the Great American Songbook—the classic American popular songs of the 1920s through the 1950s, especially the work of George and Ira Gershwin. His site describes him as “the Ambassador of the Great American Songbook,” a career built on performing, recording, and teaching that repertoire.
His recognition rests on several kinds of work:
- Performing and recording: A career spanning more than three decades, with five Grammy nominations and Emmy-nominated PBS specials, plus concerts at venues such as Carnegie Hall, the White House, Buckingham Palace, and the Sydney Opera House.
- A Gershwin connection: He worked as an assistant to Ira Gershwin, which gave him unusual firsthand access to the Gershwin legacy.
- Education and archiving: In 2007 he founded the Great American Songbook Foundation, which runs educational programs, master classes, and an annual High School Songbook Academy. He also serves on the Library of Congress’ National Recording Preservation Board.
- Broadcasting and writing: Acclaimed NPR series and a book, Kids, Wait Till You Hear This, written with Liza Minnelli.
- Current projects: The album Gershwin Country, which recasts Gershwin songs through country music with guests including Dolly Parton, Alison Krauss, Brad Paisley, and Rosanne Cash, with part of the proceeds benefiting MusiCares.
If you are new to his work, start with Gershwin Country for a contemporary entry point, then explore his earlier Songbook recordings and the foundation’s programs if you are interested in the educational side. The official site is Michael Feinstein.
What recordings and albums has Michael Feinstein released?
Michael Feinstein's recording career centers on the Great American Songbook, the classic American popular standards he has championed since the 1980s. The site presents him as both a performer and an archivist, and that dual role shows up in what he records: interpretations of established songwriters rather than original material.
Albums highlighted on the site
- Gershwin Country — a reimagining of George and Ira Gershwin songs through a country music lens, executive produced by Liza Minnelli, with guests including Dolly Parton, Alison Krauss, Brad Paisley and Rosanne Cash. Released on CD and digital, with a portion of proceeds benefiting MusiCares.
- Kids, Wait Till You Hear This — a book credited to Liza Minnelli as told to Michael Feinstein, listed alongside his recordings on the site.
- Michael Feinstein Wine, presented by Brutocao Cellars, appears as a separate non-music product.
Career context
The biography notes five Grammy Award nominations and Emmy-nominated PBS television specials, plus an NPR series. Those broadcast projects often function as companion pieces to his albums, so listeners who enjoy a particular era of his work may find the matching special or radio series useful.
How to dig deeper
The site's Multimedia section is the most direct route to samples and performance clips, while the discography itself is not laid out as a complete chronological list on the homepage. If you want a full catalog, a music database such as Discogs or AllMusic will give you release-by-release detail that the official site does not. For background on the songbook tradition he draws from, the Great American Songbook Foundation — which he founded in 2007 — is the logical companion resource.
How can I see Michael Feinstein perform live?
The official site is the place to start: Michael Feinstein has a Tour section listing upcoming shows, and the page notes he is "on tour now." That is where dates, cities and venues are posted as they are confirmed, so check it before buying from any resale source.
What to expect at a show
Feinstein's career is built on the Great American Songbook, so a concert typically leans on that repertoire rather than a single album. If you are deciding whether to go, ask yourself whether you want a traditional standards-and-cabaret evening; that is the core of what he does. His recorded work, including the country-music reinterpretation Gershwin Country, gives a sense of the range he may draw on, but a tour setlist is not the same as an album.
Practical steps
- Open the Tour page on his official site and note dates near you.
- Check the venue's own site for seating, start times and ticket policies.
- If a date is not listed, look again later — touring schedules fill in over time.
- For a special occasion, consider that his appearances include concert halls and performing-arts centers, where acoustics and sightlines vary widely by seat.
If you cannot attend in person
His site's Multimedia section and his PBS specials and NPR series are alternatives. The Great American Songbook Foundation, which he founded, is another route for educational programs and events tied to the music he performs.
What is the Great American Songbook Foundation and how can I get involved?
The Great American Songbook Foundation is the nonprofit Feinstein founded in 2007 to celebrate and preserve the classic American popular song repertoire through education, archiving and performance. On this site, it is described as the vehicle for that mission, with programs including Master Classes and an annual High School Songbook Academy—a summer intensive for students from across the country whose graduates have gone on to record albums and appear on television.
Ways to get involved
- Students: The High School Songbook Academy is the most direct route for young singers; it is a competitive summer program rather than a drop-in class.
- Educators and schools: Master Classes and educational programming are the foundation's core outreach, so teachers can look for ways to bring its teaching artists or curriculum resources into their own programs.
- Donors and supporters: Preservation work—archiving recordings and sheet music, mounting exhibitions, running academies—depends on charitable support, so giving or sponsoring a program is the standard way to help without performing.
- Researchers and fans: The foundation's archival mission is aimed at anyone who wants the repertoire documented and kept publicly available, not only musicians.
Practical next step
If you are a student or parent, check the foundation's own site for audition timelines before the school year ends, since summer programs typically select participants months in advance. If you are an educator, propose a specific collaboration—a master class, a residency, a student group ticket—rather than a general offer to help. If you want to support the work financially, ask what an unrestricted gift funds versus a named program.
For context on Feinstein's own role and touring schedule, see Michael Feinstein. The foundation itself operates separately from this artist site, so its program details, applications and donation pages live on its own official domain.
What is Michael Feinstein's connection to Ira Gershwin and the Gershwin legacy?
Michael Feinstein's connection to Ira Gershwin was personal and formative: he worked as Gershwin's assistant in the 1970s, which gave him direct access to the Gershwins' manuscripts and archives. That experience shaped his lifelong role as an interpreter and archivist of the Great American Songbook, and he continues to carry the Gershwin legacy through performances and recordings.
His album Gershwin Country is the clearest current example. According to the site, it reimagines George and Ira Gershwin's songs through country music, with guests including Dolly Parton, Alison Krauss, Brad Paisley and Rosanne Cash, executive produced by Liza Minnelli. The page also notes a portion of proceeds benefits MusiCares.
If you want to hear the Gershwin connection rather than read about it, start with Gershwin Country and then compare it with his earlier Songbook recordings. The Michael Feinstein site lists news, tour dates and multimedia, which is the practical next step for hearing him live or finding further recordings.
What educational programs or master classes does Michael Feinstein offer?
Michael Feinstein's educational work is centered on the Great American Songbook Foundation, which he founded in 2007. Its flagship offering is the annual High School Songbook Academy, a summer intensive open to students from across the United States. The Foundation also runs Master Classes and broader educational programs dedicated to celebrating and preserving the Songbook tradition. According to the site, Academy graduates have gone on to record albums and appear on programs such as NBC's "America's Got Talent."
If you are a student or parent, the practical next step is to look for the Songbook Academy's current application window and eligibility details, since the summer intensive is the most structured program described. If you are an educator or arts administrator, the Foundation's Master Classes and preservation programming are the better starting point for partnership or curriculum ideas. Feinstein's own role is described as that of an educator and archivist, and he serves on the Library of Congress' National Recording Preservation Board — useful context if your interest is in the educational mission rather than performance dates.
For official details, dates, and application information, check the source directly: Michael Feinstein.
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