Michael Pagan was born in Ravenna, Ohio (near Cleveland). His parents were musicians and he was exposed to music from an early age. When he was seven years of age, he recalls hearing recordings by Miles Davis, Oscar Peterson and Bill Evans. He earned his Master of Arts degree in composition at Kent State University, where he was taught by Thomas Janson and Frank Wiley. Hugh A. Glauser was his music theory teacher. The school was named after him. Mike was a pianist in the new music ensemble, which was directed by Frank Wiley, and the jazz ensemble that was under the direct supervision of Chas Baker. Toni Glauser and Lois Rova Ozanich were his piano teachers. Robert Palmieri was Olga Kuehl–White from the University of Akron. Pat Pace’s piano playing and compositions were also an influence. Mike was a jazz pianist and bass player in Akron-Cleveland. He was also a bass player in the University Orchestra. He earned his Doctor of Music in composition degree from Northwestern University. His principal teachers were Lynden deYoung, Alan Stout and Steven Syverud. Don Owens directed him as a pianist in NU jazz and contemporary music, and he continued piano studies with Laurence Davis. Downbeat magazine named him a “musician deserving greater recognition” while he was playing jazz piano in Chicago. He has been a jazz pianist for over thirty years in the United States and Europe, performing with jazz legends such as Greg Abate and Billy Hart. He has been a soloist in many ensembles, including the Ashland Symphony Orchestra, Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra and the Lake Superior Chamber Orchestra. He also performed with the University of Michigan Jazz Ensemble, Northshore Concert Band, and has played jazz aboard the Delta Queen, a legendary riverboat. Mike has written over 150 compositions and arrangements in jazz idiom. For his Impromptu and Chorale, he has won numerous awards, including First Prize in the New Music for Young Ensembles international composers contest.
