J. Michael Brounoff

Although he suspended formal piano study after high school, Michael continued to play for personal enjoyment, serving as musical director of the satirical review, “Assault and Flattery” while in law school.  As a practicing attorney, he still found time to direct the music for local productions of Broadway musicals, including Brigadoon, The Fantasticks, Anything Goes, The Grass Harp, Fiddler on the Roof, Oklahoma, and Guys & Dolls.  He resumed formal piano study at age 53 with Dr. Tamas Ungar of Texas Christian University and—after accepting an appointment as Administrative Law Judge for the Social Security Administration in Syracuse, NY—with Dr. Fred Karpoff of Syracuse University.  Transferring back to Dallas, he resumed study with Dr. Ungar.  He has competed in the Van Cliburn Foundation’s, International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs four times, advancing to the semi-final round three times.  He has attended Piano Texas Academy and Festival at TCU in 22 out of the last 24 years and won in competition the privilege of concerto performance with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra five times.  Michael is now retired and lives in Plano, TX with his wife of 43 years, Martha Jane, their son, David Franklin, and Michael’s piano, a 9-foot Knabe named “Obiwan.”