Meet Michael Brofman

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Michael Brofman. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michael below.

Hi Michael, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

I found my purpose by loosing everything as a pianist when I injured my hand as a student. I was unable to play piano without pain and forced to stop doing what I love. By losing what I valued the most I had to ask myself the question: what do I have when I have nothing? My answer was that I have my integrity, my sense of self, and my love for music. Those have become my guiding principles ever since.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

Pianist Michael Brofman has earned a reputation as one of the finest vocal accompanists of his generation. He has performed over one thousand songs, from Schubert’s earliest lieder to premieres of new songs by today’s most-recognized composers. He was hailed by the New York Times as an “excellent pianist” and 
Feast of Music recently praised his “elegant and refined playing… exhibiting excellent touch and clean technique.” Parterre Box Blog called Mr. Brofman a “master communicator at the piano,” and Voix des Arts praised his “finesse and flexibility.” Seen and Heard International recently wrote “Brofman got to the core of each song…delving into their emotional depths.” Opera News stated “Michael Brofman provided exquisite piano accompaniment.”
Recent highlights of Mr. Brofman’s performances include recitals in San Francisco with members of the SF Symphony and a recital at Northwestern University with soprano Elisabeth Marshall. With the Brooklyn Art Song Society this season he performs works by Barber, Beethoven, Britten, Dvorak, and Wolf as well as works written for him by Tom Cipullo, Herschel Garfein, Cecilia Livingston, David Ludwig, Carlos Simon, and more.
Mr. Brofman has championed new works and has fostered relationships with many living composers, including Katherine Balch, Lembit Beecher, Tom Cipullo, Michael Djupstrom, Daniel Felsenfeld, Herschel Garfein, Mikhail Johnson, Daron Hagen, Jake Heggie, James Kallembach, Libby Larsen, Lowell Liebermann, David Ludwig, James Matheson, Reinaldo Moya, Harold Meltzer, Russell Platt, Kurt Rohde, Glen Roven, Andrew Staniland, Carlos Simon, and Scott Wheeler. In all, he has premiered over 100 songs, many of them dedicated to him.
Mr. Brofman is the founder and artistic director of the Brooklyn Art Song Society, an organization dedicated to the vast repertoire of poetry set to music now in its 14th season. His first CD New Voices on Roven Records includes four world-premiere recordings and was number one on Amazon’s new releases for Opera/Vocal and debuted in the top 10 of the Traditional Classical Billboard Chart.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Stick-to-itiveness: One of the most important things you can do in life is simply not quit. If you don’t quit you will find a way one way or another and you’ll see possibilities others don’t.

Passion: I’ve not always been the most naturally talented or the quickest learner, but I’ve always been the one most excited about what I’m doing, which has gotten me farther than most.

Empathy: I’ve always tried to understand why people act and think the way they do, which may be different from me. I always think what can benefit others instead of myself, and always get something of value from others as a result.

Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?

One book that had a big impact on me recently is P F Strawson On Freedom and Resentment. His essay on imagination changed my life. Strawson said imagination is not just a LaLa Land where we day dream, but where we create our reality and fundamental understanding of our existence. In other words, we are the product of our own imagination.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.brooklynartsongsociety.org
• Instagram: brooklynartsongsociety
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brooklynartsongsociety/

Image Credits

Catherine Hancock Photography