10:00 a.m. CAMTA BuSINESS MEETING
11:00 a.m. Professional Development Program
Dr. Michael Finlay Instructor of Piano at Depaul Community Music School and Interlochen Arts Camp
“No Finger Is an Island: An Integrated Approach to Piano Technique and Injury Prevention”
This session presents an integrated approach to piano technique that synthesizes elements from three influential traditions in modern pedagogy: the teaching of leading Canadian pedagogue Marc Durand; the Russian School (as described in the writings of Anna Artobolevskaya and Heinrich Neuhaus); and the Taubman Approach. Marc Durand emphasized the integration of the entire body for freedom and power at the piano, the Russian School stresses the use of the whole arm in the cultivation of a rich, singing tone, and the Taubman Approach provides precise tools for forearm, hand, and finger choreography at the keyboard. Together, they form a complete system of movement that flows from the center of the body to the fingertips. Participants will leave with a practical framework for developing a facile, adaptive technique in their students, a clear understanding of the root causes of playing-related back pain, shoulder tension, tendonitis, and nerve compression, and a troubleshooting guide matching specific injuries to their likely technical causes.
BIOGRAPHY
Michael Finlay is a distinguished concert pianist and chamber musician, and a recipient of The American Prize Ernst Bacon Memorial Award. Acclaimed for his “profound expressive depth” and “impressive technical command”, he maintains an active international schedule with recent performances in Catania (Italy), Montreal, Toronto, Austin, San Antonio, Denver, and Atlanta. His concerts have been featured on classical radio stations in Austin, Cleveland, Baltimore, and Montreal.
A frequent concerto soloist, Finlay has appeared with the musicians of the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, the Southwest Symphony Orchestra, the Harper Symphony Orchestra, and Corda Harmonia. As a passionate chamber musician, he has collaborated with members of the Cleveland, Chicago, and Montreal Symphony Orchestras, as well as with artists from the Catalyst, Kontras, and Koerner quartets.
Upcoming projects include Pocket Concertos, his initiative to present major concertos in smaller spaces with chamber ensemble. This year he performed Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto and Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto in several chamber venues, and next year he is planning a special commission of Rachmaninov’s Third Piano Concerto for string quintet and piano. He is also preparing a solo album featuring Liszt’s Sonata in B minor.
In addition to his performing career, Finlay is an active educator. He serves on the faculties of the Interlochen Arts Camp, DePaul University,North Park University, Northeastern Illinois University, and the Reinhardt Piano Festival and Academy. He is also co-founder of the North Park Piano Academy, an intensive summer program for young pianists that will debut in 2027.
Finlay is also an in-demand clinician and presenter, having shared his pedagogical work and artistic insights at Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, Chapman University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He began his studies with Kathryn Mishell in Austin, Texas, and at age 15 left home to attend the Interlochen Arts Academy on full scholarship. He earned his Bachelor’s degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music, studying with Paul Schenly, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, and Kathryn Brown; a Master’s at the Peabody Conservatory with Yong Hi Moon; and a Doctorate at the University of Montreal under Marc Durand.