Live the Music

Michael Hilgendorf began his musical journey

when he picked up the guitar at age 11. Coming from a family of 70s and 80s rock and metal purists, his early interests included Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, and Jimi Hendrix, among others. He played his first bar gig fronting a power trio at age 12. While in high school, Michael began to develop an interest in

jazz, which led to a series of educational ventures, including camps at Wayne State University and the Berklee College of Music.

Michael’s developments as a musician led him to Chicago in 2016 when he began attending

Columbia College Chicago. In the four years

he spent there, he grew immensely as a musician, building up his skills as a guitarist, improviser, arranger, and composer. While at Columbia, Michael had the opportunity to study and perform with many world-renowned musicians, including Bernard Purdie, Cassandra O’Neal, Donny McCaslin,

Kendrick Scott, Isaiah Sharkey, and many more. When not in school, Michael spent his time

playing in the city as a solo guitarist, an accompanist, and in many different small and large ensemble settings for a wide variety of clientele.

Teaching has always been a part of Michael’s life:

His first job was teaching guitar lessons at a local studio in his hometown of Detroit at the age of 16. He also worked as a guitar tutor for Columbia College Chicago during his time there, as well as teaching several students in his free time out of his apartment. 

Michael has been accepted into the

2021 Master's in Jazz Arts program at the

Manhattan School of Music. For two years he will be working toward perfecting and refining his musical competency and craft  and professional artistry.