Michael Sheppard is known as "a virtuosic soloist possessed of power, sensitivity, earthiness, and humor" (Whitney Smith, Indianapolis Star) with the "power to make an audience sit up and pay attention...thought-provoking for performers and listeners alike" (James Manheim, All Music Guide ). He studied with the legendary Leon Fleisher, and was a winner of the prestigious American Pianists Association Classical Fellow Award, a designation that led to the release of a critically acclaimed solo recording by Harmonia Mundi in 2007.

As a pianist, conductor, and composer, Michael gives masterclasses, teaches, and plays with some of the top singers and instrumentalists around the US. He also coaches singers, instrumentalists, and conductors, working at both the Peabody Conservatory and the Baltimore School for the Arts, sharing his love and nderstanding of music and the artistic process with future generations.