Michael Thomas Foumai (b. 1987, Honolulu, HI) was named winner of the 2013 American Prize for Orchestral Composition and named 2012 Composer of the Year by the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra. His music has been recognized with three BMI composition awards, the 2012 Jacob Druckman Prize from the Aspen Music Festival and School, the Presser Foundation Award, the Arthur and Mary Platsis Prize from the University of Michigan and winner of the American String Teachers Association Merle J. Isaac Composition Competition, Dolce Suono Competition, Left Coast Chamber Ensemble Competition, Michigan Music Teachers Association Commissioned Composer Competition and the 4×4 Prizes in Composition from the University of Oklahoma.

Michael’s orchestral works have been performed and read by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, American Composers Orchestra, Sioux City Symphony Orchestra, New England Philharmonic Orchestra, Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, Aspen Philharmonic Orchestra, Daegu Contemporary Music Orchestra, the Orchestra Unleashed, Honolulu Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, University Orchestras of Michigan, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah and Hawaii, the Royal Hawaiian Band, University Bands of Michigan and Hawaii and the Hawaii Youth Symphony. His chamber works have been performed by Alarm Will Sound, Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, Dolce Suono Ensemble, Ensemble DuoPlus and Ebb and Flow Arts among others.

Performed across the United States, Europe, China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and Thailand, Michael’s music has been presented at the ACO Underwood New Music Readings, Cabrillo Festival, Shanghai New Music Week, Yogyakarta Contemporary Music Festival, Thailand International Composition Festival, Daegu Contemporary Music Festival, Fresno New Music Festival, Aries Composers Festival, June in Buffalo, Mizzou New Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival and School, Wellesley Composers’ Conference, Staunton Music Festival, EarShot New Music Readings and at the Calarts Theatre at Disney Hall.

Michael holds degrees in Music Composition from the University of Hawaii and Michigan and is currently a doctoral fellow at UM. He has worked with Christopher Rouse, Augusta Read Thomas, Robert Beaser and Steven Stucky. His compositions teachers have been Bright Sheng, Michael Daugherty, Syd Hodkinson, Paul Schoenfield, Erik Santos, Peter Askim, Byron K. Yasui, Donald Reid Womack, Takeo Kudo and Thomas Osborne.

Phone

(255) 352-6258