Michael Feinstein

By 1983, he also served as a musical consultant for the acclaimed Broadway show My One and Only. By the mid-1980s, Feinstein had established himself as a nationally recognized cabaret singer-pianist. Feinstein quickly followed this debut with a series of successful albums, including Live at the Algonquin (1986) and Remember: Michael Feinstein Sings Irving Berlin (1987). In 1988, he released Isn’t It Romantic, his first album featuring orchestral backing.

That same year, Feinstein made his Broadway debut with the in-concert show Michael Feinstein in Concert in April, and was subsequently honored with a Drama Desk Special Award for his exceptional contributions to celebrating American musical theater songs. His influence extended into preservation efforts when the Library of Congress appointed him to the National Recording Preservation Board in 2000, recognizing his steadfast commitment to safeguarding America’s musical heritage. Solidifying his role as a cultural advocate, Feinstein founded the Great American Songbook Foundation in 2007, an organization dedicated to documenting, preserving, and educating about American popular song. In 2009, he became the artistic director for the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana.

His expertise reached wider audiences when PBS aired Michael Feinstein’s American Songbook in 2010. Expanding his discography, Feinstein released Change Of Heart: The Songs of André Previn in 2013. That same year, he opened Feinstein’s at the Nikko nightclub in San Francisco. PBS again showcased his talents in 2014 with the premiere of Michael Feinstein at the Rainbow Room.

In 2015, Feinstein entered a significant creative partnership with the iconic New York cabaret venue 54 Below, leading to its rebranding as Feinstein’s/54 Below, underscoring his prominence as a leading interpreter and historian of American popular music.