Scottish-Dutch pianist Anna Michels has performed internationally as a soloist and chamber musician. She was one of the first students to be awarded a double bachelor degree from Maastricht Conservatoire in the Netherlands, studying both piano and music theory. Anna graduated from her Masters and Artist Diploma at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland with Head of Keyboard Aaron Shorr. 

Anna has performed major piano concertos with numerous Scottish and Dutch orchestras, including the Maastricht Academic Chamber Orchestra, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Symphony Orchestra, the Conservatorium Maastricht Symphony Orchestra and Falkirk Tryst Orchestra. Alongside her various chamber groups, she has won prizes at the International Anton Garcia April Chamber Music Competition, the International Swedish Duo Competition, the Scando Vocallis Lied Duo Competition, and the Elgar Spedding Memorial Lied Competition. 

Anna has an interest in unearthing hidden treasures of the classical repertoire, with a focus on Scottish composer Ronald Center. This has culminated in giving lecture-recitals internationally, including at the London International Piano Symposium and Musica Scotica Conference. 

Anna founded the “Ad Libitum Collective”, an ensemble at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland that explores the possibilities of free improvisation. The group collaborates closely with dancers, and this led to a multidisciplinary performance as part of the annual Piano Festival at RCS. As a solo improviser, she represented the RCS at the METRIC Improvisation Conference in Leipzig this year. 

She currently teaches at St Mary’s Music School in Edinburgh, where she holds the position of Keyboard Faculty Assistant. Anna is a recipient of the Cross Trust and was awarded the Falkirk Civic Trust “Young Personality of the Year”. She is also a musician with charity Live Music Now Scotland with soprano Rosie Lavery.