Michael Chertock - Piano
University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
Pianist Michael Chertock made his debut at the age of 17, performing the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 with conductor Andrew Litton. He has collaborated with noted conductors such as James Conlon, Jaime Laredo, Keith Lockhart, Erich Kunzel and Bob Bernhardt.
Chertock has performed as soloist with the orchestras of Philadelphia, Montreal, Toronto, Baltimore, Dallas, Detroit, Chattanooga, Cincinnati, Naples and Indianapolis, among others. His 2003 performance on the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s recording of Petrouchka with Paavo Järvi turned in rave reviews in Gramophone and American Record Guide. Chertock made his Carnegie Hall debut in 1999 with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, performing Duke Ellington’s New World A’Comin’.
In 1994, Chertock released his first CD on the Telarc label, a collection of his original arrangements of music from movies entitled Cinematic Piano. Since then, he has recorded three more discs one the Telarc label.
Chertock has garnered numerous awards at major competitions, among them top prizes in the 1989 Joanna Hodges International Piano Competition (Brahms Division,) the 1993 St. Charles International Piano Competition, and 1991 World Piano Competition of the American Music Scholarship Association. Chertock currently serves as chair of the piano department at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
Chertock received bachelor and master of music degrees from CCM where he studied piano with Clifford Herzer, Robert Weirich, Frank Weinstock and James Tocco.
Chertock’s upcoming appearances include solo performances with the Boston Pops Orchestra and the Toronto, Ottawa, Atlanta, Billings and Omaha symphonies.