Mike Garson was drawn to music early in life. He began studying piano at the age of seven and by fourteen was modifying complex Chopin and Mozart compositions. A short time later, Garson became captivated with jazz. This was a dramatic  turning point, the depth of which continues to reveal itself.

While his musical odyssey has taken many forms, Garson has achieved the greatest satisfaction as a composer. To date, he has written more than 3,000 pieces. Most recently, Garson composed a series of completely improvised duets with saxophonist Dave Liebman.

He also composed the score for the upcoming MGM  film Stigmata with Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins, with whom he toured during 1998.

Andres Cardenas, concertmaster of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, also commissioned Garson to compose ten pieces for a forthcoming album.

Additionally, a clarinet suite commissioned by Eddie Daniels, Larry Coombs and Ricardo Morales premiered to rave reviews at the 1998 Ohio State University Clarinet Festival.
Garson has also scored the music for many network features, including Criminal Behaviour starring Farrah Fawcett. For the ABC television movie Liberace, Garson played all of the piano work in the style of the flamboyant performer. Garson's music can also be heard on numerous television shows and Yamaha Disklavier disks.

Garson's love of improvisation and composition is most evident in his Now! Music. This new approach to composing transfers his knowledge of improvisation into a classical format.

Garson composes pieces in real-time, which are recorded direct-to-disk. The result is refreshing, inspirational and always original music.

A reputation for virtuosity and versatility has put Garson in demand by high-profile rock artists, most notably David Bowie, with whom he first worked from 1972-1974. He is featured on Aladdin Sane, Diamond Dogs, David Live, Pin-Ups, Young Americans and the Ziggy Stardust movie soundtrack.

Garson's groundbreaking piano solo on the Aladdin Sane title track has inspired a new generation of musicians to push the envelope of creativity. In 1993, after a nearly 20-year hiatus, Garson contributed to Bowie's Buddha of Suburbia and Black Tie, White Noise albums. Garson also played on Earthling and Outside, for which he co-wrote six songs. And, from 1995 through 1997, Garson toured with Bowie in support of these two recent albums.

In addition, after spending a greater part of 1998 touring with the Smashing Pumpkins, Garson will soon re-join the group to record the follow-up to Adore.

Garson has also recorded on Seal's new album, Human Being, and with Trent Reznor on the upcoming Nine-Inch-Nails album. As a member of Free Flight, a jazz and classical ensemble founded by flutist Jim Walker, Garson composed most of the group's original music and recorded six innovative albums. Garson has also recorded twelve solo albums including Admiration, Avant Garson, Gershwin Fantasia, Jazzical, Mystery Man, Remember Love,Serendipity, and The Oxnard Sessions Vol. I and II.

In his early years Garson studied classical composition with Leonard Eisner of Julliard and attained degrees in Music and Education from Brooklyn College. He also studied with Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, Hal Overton, Robert Starer and Lennie Tristano.

While still in school, he perfected his performance style in New York jazz clubs, where he played with notables such as Stanley Clarke, Elvin Jones, Lee Konitz and Freddie Hubbard. Now, as a teacher himself, Garson has passed his knowledge to more than 1,000 students worldwide.

Despite his commercial success, Garson remains committed to music for the purest of reasons. "I'm not concerned with whether I play jazz, classical, rock or pop, as long as it's creative," he explains, "The one constant, however, is the piano and my lifelong devotion to it.'