BIOGRAPHY

Award-winning Canadian conductor, composer, and multi instrumentalist, Michael Berec has devoted his life to creating beautiful music. Michael serves as the Music Director of the York Chamber Ensemble where he takes pride in building audiences and providing transcendent musical experiences. Whether for the stage or screen, Michael is recognized for his deep understanding of the musical phrase, and sensitivity to pitch and rhythm.  He is an in-demand conductor and composer for various media, and has written music for such projects as the award winning Hallmark television series “Good Witch” and the feature film "Left Behind" featuring Nicolas Cage. Michael has also been featured as an on-camera musician in such productions as the Oscar award-winning film The Shape of Water and the Emmy award-winning television series, The Handmaid’s Tale. Aside from conducting orchestras throughout North America and Europe, Michael has had the opportunity to be a part the music teams for various special events from CNN’s 2021 “Fourth in America” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus and the New York Youth Symphony, to live-to-air broadcasts from the Metropolitan Opera, New York City. Michael has been featured on Canada’s National Classical radio station 96.3 and has had the pleasure to perform and work with artists such as the late violinist Jacques Israelievitch, actor Colm Feore, pianists André Laplante and Christina Petrowska-Quilico, Canadian singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith, and the Canadian Tenors.

 

Michael has studied with Mark Shapiro (Juilliard), Jorma Panula (Sibelius Academy), Markand Thakar (Peabody Institute), Donato Renzetti (Accademia Musicale Pescarese, Italy) and composer Peter Paul Koprowski (student of Nadia Boulanger). Michael is a member of SOCAN, the Screen Composers Guild of Canada, the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and the Toronto Musicians’ Association.