In loving memory of Michael Benner
We are so sad to be mourning the loss of our beloved friend and piano teacher Mr. Michael Benner. Mr. Michael has taught at Kat’s Artist Tree since 2016 and has had a lasting impact on countless students and colleagues. Mr. Michael has always been known for his unique sense of humor, high standards of musicianship, and his encyclopedic knowledge of classical music. He proudly wore the fact that his musical lineage of piano teachers ran back directly to Beethoven himself.
We are sorry to have lost such an inspiring individual but take comfort in knowing that his legacy of musical excellence will live on for generations to come.
Michael was raised in southern Ohio. His hometown was fortunate to have a highly trained piano teacher whose pedagogy began with Beethoven. After high school he was accepted into and graduated from the College-Conservatory, University of Cincinnati with a BM in Music Theory and an MM in Choral Conducting. While at CCM he studied Music Theory with Dr. Paul Cooper, composition with Dr. Scott Huston and choral conducting with Dr. John Lehman and Dr. Elmer Thomas. He also took master classes with Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland and Lukas Foss. He competed and won the OCDA choral conducting competition in 1977. Michael was hired by an all male chorus, The Kingsmen, and served as Director and Arranger for ten years. In the 1990s he served as a composer and producer at two recording studios. He wrote jingles and background music as well as rap “beats”. Though Michael spent 40 years in sales and marketing he always kept involved in the music scene. He spent four years with The Sounds of the Southwest Singers, a 90 voice Peoria-based chorus that tours and performs around the globe. He was a backup singer for Barry Manilow in 2014. He is a piano and voice Instructor.