Biography

Michael de Huy (born c. 2003) is a prize-winning Australian concert pianist, conductor, arranger, improviser, vocalist and composer of Chinese-Vietnamese heritage. Known for his cross-disciplinary fluency, he maintains a multi-faceted profile that spans classical virtuoso performance, contemporary avant-garde composition, and symphonic direction. Michael De Huy has performed extensively across Australia, Europe and North America including appearances as a soloist, conductor and vocalist for Major Cinematic and Commercial Productions at the Sydney Opera House.

 

Early Life and Education

Michael De Huy was born in Melbourne, Australia, to a family of Chinese-Vietnamese heritage. He commenced his formal classical piano training at age four under the tutelage of Anatoly Dokumentov, an alumnus of the Moscow Conservatoire. Recognized early as a child prodigy, Michael de Huy was admitted into the selective Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School (VCASS) at the age of twelve, where he pursued intensive piano training under Glenn Riddle.  Following his secondary education, de Huy relocated to New South Wales to attend the Sydney Conservatorium of Music (SCM), where he completed his Bachelor of Music (Performance) with First Class Honours under the guidance of pianist Natalia Ricci.

In 2024, Michael de Huy was awarded a full academic scholarship to pursue postgraduate studies in Spain at the Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu in Barcelona.  He graduated from the institution with a Master's degree in piano performance under Àlex Alguacil, receiving the highest academic honors and recording a perfect 10/10 score in his final graduation recital.  In late 2025, his education profile expanded into advanced orchestral conducting when he was accepted into the continuous education program under Maestro Salvador Brotons at the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya (ESMUC).

 

Career

​Performance and Conducting

Michael De Huy’s performance style frequently incorporates classical repertoire alongside complex, jazz-influenced structural improvisations. In March 2023, he made a major symphonic appearance performing Maurice Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major with the Sydney Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Roger Benedict.  In 2025, Michael de Huy made his professional conducting debut at the Sydney Opera House, directing the Australian Vietnamese Youth Orchestra in a high-profile gala concert commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Vietnamese Settlement in Australia. Since his debut, his conducting activities have expanded internationally to encompass regional ensemble direction across Catalonia, Spain. His pedagogical conducting experience includes masterclasses throughout Portugal and Australia, as well as an appointment as Assistant Conductor to Fabian Russell with the Melbourne-based medical orchestra, Corpus Medicorum.  In September 2026, de Huy is scheduled to return to Australia for an interstate tour titled "A Percussion Odyssey," performing a collaborative duo program with percussionist Grace Lee across New South Wales venues, including St Jude's Bowral and the Wollongong Art Gallery.

 

Composition and Studio Albums

As a composer, Michael  focuses on blending classical forms with modern technology and digital equipment.  In 2022, he curated and performed an experimental live recital series titled "Airs and Surfaces" combining acoustic grand piano with analog synthesizers, voice, and tablet devices simultaneously.  He has independently released two full-length studio albums composed entirely of original solo piano works:

• Reminiscing, Reminisced (2020)

• Fae (2022)

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Major Awards and Scholarships

Michael De Huy's international academic residencies and career developments have been funded through several premier national competitive grants:

• George & Margaret Henderson Post-Graduate Travelers Scholarship – Multi-year recipient through the University of Sydney (2022–2026), enabling his long-term residency and European studies.

• Alain Marinaro International Piano Competition – Awarded Second Prize in Collioure, France (2026).

• Sydney Eisteddfod Concerto Competition – Winner of the First Prize (2024).

• Valencia International Piano Festival Competition – Winner of the First Prize (2023).

• Sydney Conservatorium of Music Piano Concerto Competition – First Prize Winner (2023).

• Theme & Variations Foundation National Piano Award – Joint-recipient and national funding winner (2023).

• Mendelssohn Scholarship – Awarded by the Sydney Conservatorium of Music (2022).

• St Andrew’s College Major Music Scholarship – Continuous collegiate honors recipient (2022–2024).