1. When did you think about music as a career and what were your first steps into it?
It was only really when I was about 20 that I decided that I was definitely going to pursue a performing career. So after university I went to study piano full-time in London. With help and encouragement from some important mentors such as Barry Douglas and John O’Conor, things started taking off – and I’ve been enjoying it ever since.
2. Best gigs you’ve been to?
As a teenager I went to an amazing jazz gig at Queen’s University given by the Julian Joseph Trio. I’ve also been fortunate to hear many inspiring performances by pianists I admire, including Nicholas Angelich, Brad Mehldau, my mentors Barry and John. And a few years ago I went to hear a staged version of Wagner’s Götterdämmerung at the BBC Proms with the amazing Berlin Staatskapelle orchestra – I never thought that a six-hour opera could go by so quickly.
3. Fantasy wedding/birthday party band?
Frank Sinatra with full swinging big band.
4. The record you’d take to a desert island?
Murray Perahia: Mozart/Beethoven piano concertos.
5. And the book?
War and Peace.
6. Top three films?
Casablanca, Cinema Paradiso and The Lives of Others.
7. Worst film you’ve seen?
Two Ninas.
8. Favourite authors?
John Steinbeck, John Banville and Ian Fleming.
9. Sport you most enjoy and top team?
The Irish rugby team and tennis, especially Wimbledon.
Ideal holiday destination?
Italy or the south of France.
11. Pet hate?
Dirty fingernails.
12. What’s your favourite:
Dinner? Medium rare steak.
Dessert? Crème brûlée.
Drink? Red wine.
13. Who is your best friend and how do you know each other?
Some of my closest friends are from my school years in Belfast.
14. Is there a God?
I’ll only truly know the answer to that one once it’s too late to tell you.
:: Michael McHale will launch his album Irish Piano Concertos on September 16 with a concert at Dublin's National Concert Hall. The album was recorded with the RTE National Symphony Orchestra and supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. It features music from Irish composers Philip Hammond and John Field.
