See what people are saying.

"Working with Michael to commission Now is the Time was a remarkable experience. She created a powerful piece that was both musically rewarding and deeply moving. Michael was always available to discuss the work with me and my singers and was warm and inviting to all of us in our coaching sessions with her, guiding us to arrive at a more exciting and expressive performance of the work. We were hugely honored that Michael would trust us to share the musical story of her personal journey in this important work. Any ensemble would be fortunate to work with a composer of her warmth and caliber."

— Dr. Rebecca Petra Naomi Seeman, Sacred and Profane Chamber Chorus, Artistic Director
"My community choir greatly enjoyed our collaboration with Michael to perform her Where We Find Ourselves in a virtual format during Covid. She was very generous in sharing information and context for the music, which added even more depth of meaning to this highly expressive work."

— Dr. Rodney Wynkoop, Choral Society of Durham, Artistic Director and Vocal Arts Ensemble of Durham, Founding Director
"We (WHS Chorus) were so grateful for the opportunity to have a Q&A session with Michael and Shantel. To hear the perspective of the composer and lyricist was powerful for my students, and answered many questions we all had about the process. After the experience, one of my students emailed me to say it was one of the most meaningful events of this school year for her. We will use the responses and stories moving forward as we continue our work with Identity, personal, and perceived of ourselves and others."

— Christina Flateau and the Woodsville High School Choirs
"The story of the Radium Girls was unfamiliar to me until I read the text and knew immediately I wanted in on this project. As director of MYO's Treble Voiced Symphonic Choir, I have a deep interest in social justice, female empowerment, and world music. We all loved Radium Girl, with its haunting melody and its' eerie overtones symbolizing the radium attacking the bodies of the young women. Since Michael is a MYO parent and fairly sought after composer, I was thrilled to have my choir perform Radium Girl. Having Michael come and work with the girls made the whole piece even more memorable. They spent over an hour, giving feedback, conducting the choir and helped bring a deeper appreciation of the work. Michael's kindness and patience with my singers were evident in the open discussion at the end of rehearsal, where every question was answered. It is my hope that we get to collaborate again in the near future. Thank you, Michael, for your talent, your compassion and for being YOU."

— Louise O’Hanlon, Director of Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of New York’s Treble Voiced Symphonic Choir
"The Community Mixed Chorus at Meredith College greatly enjoyed their live sessions with Michael and her team, as well as watching the video sessions that were prerecorded. These learning sessions led to rich and rewarding discussions within the ensemble, and now are adding more depth and beauty to the music and the text. This has been an incredible opportunity— what a fantastic way to engage with the composer, lyricist, and artists in a meaningful way for the singers, and what a fantastic way to make the music that much more impactful."

— Shannon Gravelle, DMA, Director of Choral Activities
"Michael is an excellent musician with a clear, engaging musical voice. She has the ability to work quickly and flexibly with collaborating musicians and composes music that is both topical and accessible, while never vapid. Being a conductor herself she understands the learning process, the abilities of singers, and the need to write music that fits the voice. I highly recommending collaborating with this excellent musician and person."

— Dr. Allan Friedman, Director, Women’s Voices Chorus of Chapel Hill
"Michael and Chantal’s collaboration on ‘Only Time to Love’, commissioned by the Women’s Voices Chorus of Chapel Hill, NC, is a piece of breathtaking beauty and depth. Rarely have we sung a piece where the poetry and music truly combine to create something approaching divine. These two remarkable people have left a mark on my heart."

— Shelley Hedtke, Soprano 2, Women’s Voices Chorus of Chapel Hill
Working with Michael to bring Cut to life for Chorus Austin was an absolute pleasure. From the earliest stages of the commissioning process to the performance itself, Michael is a true collaborator-wanting to create the best art that is true to not only her voice, but that works for the ensemble/organization. I highly recommend joining one of her commissioning consortiums, or partnering to create an individual work. If you have the chance to work with her, do it!

- Ryan Heller, Artistic Director and Conductor, Chorus Austin
"My treble chorus commissioned Michael as part of the "Radium Girl" consortium. The experience was an incredibly rewarding one. I was in contact with Michael throughout the process, and they were able to use information about my singers and our abilities to inform their piece. They were very flexible and open to new ideas when I suggested using "singing bells" since my singers were struggling with overtone singing. The piece itself was lovely and powerful, yet accessible for my young (15-16 year old) singers. The poetic text and expressive text-setting led to fruitful discussions of social justice issues with my singers, and how art can shed light on these issues. The most rewarding component of the whole experience, however, was our two Skype sessions with Michael. Michael asked for a recording of my choir prior to the sessions so they could give us some feedback, and they really made my singers feel proud of our work on the piece. They were very open and answered questions from my singers about their creative process, their inspiration, and their life as a composer. They asked my singers questions that made them think deeply about the music and the subject matter. For my singers to have this kind of personal interaction with a composer throughout the commission process was incredibly valuable. The consortium made this commission affordable for my public school ensemble. We will certainly be participating in another project soon."

— Sara Cowan, Choral Director, Omaha Central High School
"The Unarmed Child is a gorgeous, riveting, deeply moving and important work that is thoroughly accessible at the very first listening. Composed in response to gun violence against children, this nine-movement work sensitively navigates this difficult, heart-wrenching subject with beautiful, poignant, healing words and music. Each movement deals with a different aspect of emotion in a uniquely expressive way. One cannot get through the experience without tears, but the final movement brings hope with an energized call to action. "

— Diane Retallack, Artistic Director

"My community choir greatly enjoyed our collaboration with Michael to perform her Where We Find Ourselves in a virtual format during Covid. She was very generous in sharing information and context for the music, which added even more depth of meaning to this highly expressive work."

Sign up for my newsletter

Michael Bussewitz-Quarm, Composer