Critics praise Michael’s “imaginative and intelligent style” (David Dubal), “highly musical playing” (Fanfare Magazine), “sympathetic, yet eloquent dialogue” (BBC Magazine), “elegance and grace the piano is destined to produce” (Cosmo Buono), and “sheer poetry and panoramic vision” (Las Provincias, Valencia).
Hailed by New York Times as “enticing and brilliant”, Michael Bulychev-Okser debuted with Manhattan Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Jonathan Strasser. Since then, Michael has performed thousands of solos, chamber, and orchestral concerts, collaborating with conductors like Patrick Gardner (USA), Kynan Johns (Australia), Dmitri Yablonsky (Israel), Francesco Di Mauro (Argentina), and Robert Lehrbaumer (Austria). Bulychev-Okser’s extensive piano career has showcased him in solo recitals and orchestra appearances around the globe in the world’s most prestigious stages: Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall (New York), Kennedy Center (Washington, D.C.), La Salle Pleyel (Paris), Wigmore Hall (London), Heichal Hatarbut (Tel Aviv), The Saal Palace (Alexandria), IBK Concert Hall (Seoul), and Universidad Nuevo Leon (Monterrey).
In the concert season 2024, Michael performed a concert tour in Italy (Rome, Milan, Taranto, and Taormina (Sicily); appeared as guest artist with Estonian Symphony Orchestra, performing Concerto No. 1 by Alexey Shor; taught masterclasses and performed solo recitals at MusicArte International Competition (Italy), Gvadalajara Piano Festival in Mexico, and Gümüşlük International Classical Music Festival in Turkey.
Bulychev-Okser is a frequent guest artist at numerous music festivals, competitions, and concert series, including Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, U. K.; Todi International Music Festival, Italy; Kaufman Music Center, New York; Latvian Academy of Music in Riga; Changsha Music Competition, China; Valencia International Piano Festival, Spain; Piano Island Festival, Singapore; International piano festival in Universidad de Nuevo Leon, Mexico; Buchmann-Mehta School of Music at Tel Aviv University, Israel; Sarajishvili Tbilisi State Conservatory: Tbilisi, Georgia; SUMY International Festival (Ukraine); Rachmaninov Concert Hall in Moscow, Russia; Isidor Bajic Piano Competition – Novi Sad, Serbia; XX Scriabin International Competition – Grosetto, Italy; XVI Compositores des Espagna – Madrid, Spain; Piano Competition “Vals de travers” – Nouchatel, Switzerland; XI MozArte Piano Competition – Aachen, Germany; XI Lyon International Piano Competition – Lyon, France; Palais Auersperg in Vienna, Austria, and Paderewski and Chopin International Competitions in the United States and Poland.
Bulychev-Okser’s discography includes recordings of Beethoven’s “Pathetique” Sonata and “Goyeskas” by Granados (RCA label), “Transcriptions from Past to Future” (Neue Sterne, Germany), and “Music by New York composers”, recorded live at the Barge Music Festival in New York. Recordings 2023 include complete Ballades and Scherzos by Frederic Chopin (Odradek Record Label) and an album on Convivium Records Label/Naxos as a duo with the British violinist Miriam Davis, celebrating the legacy of Marcel Proust.
A recipient of Who’s Who in Music, Michael has been featured on CBS and Channel 12 programs and WQXR and WWFM radio stations, in addition to international media: TV1 (Russia), TV3 (Estonia), RAI 1 (Italy), and Nippon TV (Japan).
