Although Michael Jones has lived in Stourbridge since 1996 he was born and musically educated in Birmingham - winning a scholarship at 15 to study piano at what is now the Birmingham Conservatoire and graduating in 1974 with Prizes for Piano, Advanced Harmony, and Musical Distinction. From 1974-85 Michael was pianist/chamber music coach for the Anglo-German Youth Music-Weeks, giving a concert at the British Centre, West Berlin in 1979 which won praise from the British Council .He continued his piano studies privately with various teachers and took part in Masterclasses given by Edith Vogel, Andre Tschaikowsky and (at the 1984 Brighton Festival) Viado Perlemuter, and in August 1983 he made his London Recital debut at the Purcell Room, South Bank, playing there again in 1984.

Since the Millenium Michael has embarked on several large-scale projects - including playing all 11 Beethoven Piano Trios in 3 concerts with Trio Maggiore in 2001, and all 4 Dvorak and 3 Brahms Piano Trios in another 3-concert cycle with the same ensemble in 2002. Also in 2002 Michael performed Elgar's Symphony no.1 in its very challenging piano solo arrangement by Sigfrid Karg-Elert, and in 2003 performed Symphony no.2 at the Canterbury Festival Fringe. Spring 2009 will see the release of his first CD for the Dutton Epoch label as pianist partner to cellist Joseph Spooner in sonatas by Michael Balfe and Edgar Bainton and shorter works by Quilter, Rosalind Ellicott and Coleridge-Taylor.

In addition to performing, Michael is acknowledged as an authority on neglected composers and British composers in particular and is a contributor to the New Grove and the New Dictionary of National Biography. He has both played and lectured at the Elgar School, Worcester in 2006-7, and has written articles for 'The Blackcountryman' journal since 1998 on subjects such as the composer Dorothy Howell (1898-1982), pianist William Fellowes (192 1-70) and Kathleen Ferrier's concert appearances in the Black Country (1943-52). In November 2006 Michael became "famous for 15 minutes", as the saying goes, when interviewed live by Petroc Trelawny on BBC Radio 3's 'In Tune' programme about the life and music of the composer Edgar Bainton (1880-1956), for whom he is the UK Music Executor and copyright representative.

Michael Jones' CD 'Romantics in England' (with cellist Joseph Spooner), was released in February on Dutton Epoch and has already garnered highly favourable reviews in 'International Record Review' and 'American Record Guide'. His biographical article about Stourbridge conductor Frank Edwards (1892 - 1973) will be published in 'The Blackcountryman' journal later this year.