He studied at the Québec Conservatory and then in Rabat (Morocco) and became a self taught composer.
From '78 to '82 he studied in Freiburg (Germany) at the Musikhochschule with Christoph Henkel who encouraged him to develop his own style. He lived and performed in various European and African countries and participated in radio and TV shows at Radio-Canada, France-Inter, RSR (Switzerland), Süddeutscher Rundfunk (Germany), Africa no 1 (Gabon), and RTBF, RTL-TVI & Télé-Bruxelles (Belgium).
Composer and interpreter of the music for "Femmes d'Alger" ('92), "Les lobbies sortent de l'ombre" ('95), and "Algérie, des enfants parlent" ('99), movies by Kamal Dehane, he also shared the stage with Joël Smets, a well known Belgian story-teller.
Janos Starker, Mstislav Rostropovitch and Yo-Yo Ma, cello players of international fame, showed great appreciation for his work.
Sought after for various projects, Pierre Michaud had the opportunity to play with jazz violonist Jean-Pierre Catoul and had studio sessions with Dick Rivers, Indochine, Philippe Léotard, Affaire Louis Trio, Pow Wow, Marc Morgan, Orion, Jean-Louis Daulne, Zap Mama.
Pierre Michaud frequently plays for children and senior citizens. Since '91 he has performed a Beatles recital with his brother, guitarist Philippe Michaud (Duo Two Of Us).
In June '99, he completed "Juliette", a first CD of his own compositions, on which he also plays the piano and sings.
PRESS REVIEWS
"...Eigenkompositionen voll von überraschenden Wendungen und einem nicht alltäglichen Ideengehalt. Pierre Michaud zeigte am Cello neben technischer Vielfalt (das Instrument wurde nicht nur gestrichen und gezupft, sondern auch wie eine Rhythmusgitarre angeschlagen) gekonnte Fusionen klassischer und jazziger Elemente, welche dann und wann rockig gewürzt waren..."
(...personal compositions full of surprising corners and original ideas. On top of technical diversity (he played with the bow and his fingers but also using his instrument as a rhythm guitar), Pierre Michaud showed an aptitude for the fusion of classical and jazz elements, peppered with touches of rock...)
"BERNER ZEITUNG" (Switzerland)
(...this musician was always ready to pass from the most demanding moments to typical jazz phrasing and new discoveries...)
"BADISCHE ZEITUNG" (Germany)
After this well behaved jazz, without too much risk, the daring exercises of P. Michaud are only accentuated. This virtuos musician is dedicated, since tender age, to composing. His itinerary nartured in him a very personal style.
...Il nous gâte avec de très belles mélodies (May And The Child), accompagnées de manière descriptive, comme dans Time Drops où les "gouttes de temps" sont rendues par un picking imagé...
...On est bercé par son romantisme, et on peut prétendre que Pierre Michaud a trouvé ce que d'autres passeront le reste de leur vie à chercher : une forme d'expression, de musique, et un son qui n'appartient qu'à lui..."
"VERS L'AVENIR" (Belgium)
"...Tonmalerei in feinsten Nuancen..."
(...sound painting in the finest shades...)
"DER BUND" (Switzerland)
"...dieser Musiker über die pointillistisch vorüberhuschenden Momenten hinaus immer wieder zu jazztypischer Phrasierung und originellen Einfällen bereit war..."
"...Après ce jazz très sage et sans trop de risques, les exercices de haute voltige de Pierre Michaud n'en ressortiront que plus. Ce violoncelliste virtuose, originaire du Québec, s'adonne dès son plus jeune âge à la composition, en autodidacte, et ses nombreux voyages d'études de son instrument, de Casablanca à Freiburg, développeront chez lui un style très personnel..."
Ref. Art & Vie: mnt 010