He was a violist, teacher, poet and author born Michael Alexander Strauss who studied at Yale University, graduating with his BA 1976. followed by the New England Conservatory of Music, where he earned his master’s degree,
From 1979 to 1981 he was Principal Violist with the Boston Philharmonic and Boston Pops Orchestra and in 1984 became Principal Violist with the Omaha Symphony Orchestra remaining there for 11 years.
In 1994 he was Principal Violist with the Cedar Rapids Symphony and remained there until 1999 when he moved on to take on the same position with the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra. Working with a smaller ensemble became a co-founder of the Mariner String Quartet.
With other musicians that were or had been members of the Omaha Symphony during the 1980s he performed on the recording Christmas by Mannheim Steamroller in 1984 where he was credited as Michael Strauss, with no middle name added.
In the field of musical education he taught many string students at The Conservatory and his private teaching studio. He was also the developer of the Metatechnical Systems for Strings program, of which two volumes have been published.
As an author and poet he has written the books A Tao for Now: The Music of Lau-Tsu and Beach Sequences.
After a short illness he died peacefully at his mother’s home in 2021 when he was 66 years old.
Mannheim Steamroller recordings
Carol of the Birds(Traditional Catlonian)
American Gramaphone records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
Coventry Carol (Traditional English/Robert Croo/Thomas Mawdyke)
American Gramaphone records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
Deck the Halls (Welsh Traditional)
American Gramaphone records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella (Traditional/Emile Blemont/Marc-Antoine Charpentier/Louis-Denis Seguin)(English Translation: Edward Cuthbert Nunn)
American Gramaphone records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Traditional/Anonymous)
American Gramaphone Records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
Good King Wenceslas (John Mason Neale)
American Gramaphone records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
I Saw Three Ships (Traditional/Anonymous)
American Gramaphone records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
Wassail (Anonymous Middle Ages English/Ralph Vaughan Williams)
American Gramaphone records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
We Three Kings (Rev. John Henry Hopkins Jr.)
American Gramaphone records AG 1984 (CD: Christmas)
Sources:
- https://mdcoastdispatch.com/2021/04/15/obituaries-april-16-2021/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-alexander-strauss
- https://www.blogger.com/profile/15102790908657286661
- https://www.yelp.com/biz/michael-strauss-violin-and-viola-studio-lansdale
- https://www.amazon.com/Education-Teaching-Michael-Strauss-Books/s?rh=n%3A8975347011%2Cp_27%3AMichael+A.+Strauss
- https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6909616.Michael_Alexander_Strauss
- https://bookstore.dorrancepublishing.com/a-tao-for-now-the-music-of-lao-tsu/
- https://www.discogs.com/release/16276426-Mannheim-Steamroller-Christmas