Michelle Cann

Michelle Cann is an American pianist who appears widely with US orchestras as a concerto soloist. She is especially recognized for her performances and recordings of Florence Price's piano concerto, and she pairs core repertoire like Rachmaninoff, Gershwin, and Beethoven with newer or rediscovered American works on her programs. Listeners can expect a soloist equally comfortable in big romantic showpieces and in music that broadens the standard concert repertoire.

On these programs Cann brings three very different pianistic challenges. Rachmaninoff's Second Concerto asks for large, singing chords and a big dynamic range, moving from hushed opening arpeggios to full-orchestra climaxes. Gershwin's Concerto in F calls for a jazzier touch, with syncopated rhythms and bluesy melodic bends that Cann has performed often, including alongside works by Black American composers such as Carlos Simon. In Beethoven's "Emperor" Concerto, expect a clear, architectural approach to the opening movement's grand piano flourishes and a lyrical, unhurried account of the slow middle movement. Across all three, listeners should listen for how she balances weight and clarity, letting orchestral detail come through even in the most virtuosic passages.