Michael Kissinger is a clarinetist, conductor, composer, educator, and producer. His career began at age 16 when he produced his first concert featuring legendary clarinetist Woody Herman and The Thundering Herd.
Michael is Artistic Director of Bravo! Concerts Northwest, and Founder and Artistic Director of the Vancouver Wine & Jazz Festival in Vancouver, Washington. The Festival celebrates its 25th Anniversary in 2025, and has attracted more than 150,000 visitors from 30 states, Canada, and Europe. Michael has presented more than 250 GRAMMY-winning and acclaimed jazz, blues, and gospel musicians at the festival ranging from Arturo Sandoval, Bela Fleck, and Blind Boys of Alabama, to Spyro Gyra, Take 6, and The Yellowjackets; and more than 100 Northwest bands and student ensembles.
From 2006-2017 Michael was Guest Conductor of the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra (DSO) in Dubrovnik, Croatia, and Artistic Director of the Dubrovnik Wine & Jazz Festival from 2013-2017 in a 5-year project with the DSO and City of Dubrovnik. Michael has performed as a clarinetist and conductor with choirs, orchestras, jazz bands and classical groups in the U.S. and Europe and with music colleagues such as Jose Feliciano, Diane Schuur, Brubeck Brothers Jazz Quartet; and classical ensembles such as Oregon String Quartet, Ciompi String Quartet, and Spoleto Festival Orchestra dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, Italy.
His choral music compositions are published by International Liturgy Publications (Nashville TN). Michael earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Eastman School of Music.