Northeastern University Student

Michael is that rare kind of teacher who goes beyond technique, bringing clarity, warmth, and humanity to his work. Even in just a few months of working with him, I’ve come to appreciate how he makes complex ideas feel intuitive and meaningful. He doesn’t just fix problems—he helps me deeply understand the music, which has been invaluable as I continue to grow as a musician.

What stands out most is how attuned he is to how I learn. As I study Russian, Michael draws insightful parallels that bring music to life in unexpected ways. When I struggled to shape phrases in the third movement of Bruch’s Violin Concerto, he compared key notes in a phrase to grammatical anchors in a Russian sentence—elements that give structure and meaning. That framing gave me a concrete way to feel the music’s direction and completely transformed how I approached the passage.

Working with Michael has helped me stay rooted in music while balancing other academic goals.

He brings a rare blend of thoughtfulness, professionalism, and musical insight—creating an environment where I feel challenged, supported, and excited to grow. I feel incredibly lucky to learn from him—not just as a violinist, but as someone who helps me think more clearly and creatively through music.

Eastman School of Music Master's Student

Michael possesses an extremely unique gift for unlocking his students’ potential and leading them to be independent and informed musical thinkers. His ability to analyze physical issues that may be hindering a player’s development is truly remarkable, and his vast knowledge of musical practice and structure creates thoughtful students with compelling musical ideas.

Michael has dedicated significant time to understanding the learning process and developing effective practice habits. He guides his students to become efficient in their practice, and he encourages development of the individual.

I remain grateful for Michael’s guidance and in awe of his exceptional teaching abilities.

Retired Equestrian Coach & Artist

I am a dedicated adult student. I have been playing for a long time now, but starting as a student in her 50's. I have had a delightful, however tortuous, learning curve. Michael is concise, relaxed, empathetic and exceedingly astute as to the mission of my advancement. One of the aspects of Michael's teaching style which I've noticed is his sometimes-brevity. He will drop a comment and leave the thought for me to ponder and figure out. He will, conversely, at times explain in great detail a particular idea or technique.

66 year old Business Owner

I decided to play violin at 66 years of age and started lessons via Zoom with Michael Fisher who has made the experience enjoyable and productive. I run a company and I knew that I would have a difficult time keeping appointments for in-person study because of my schedule. Although I am early in my lessons, I feel very fortunate to have begun with Michael and have him as my teacher. Michael also happens to be a very nice person and will probably one day be a famous performing violinist.

Public Health Detailer

I highly recommend Michael as a private violin instructor. His expertise, professionalism and supportive teaching style create an ideal learning environment. I began taking lessons almost 2 years ago now as a beginner with zero violin experience. I still have a long way to go, but thanks to Michael’s guidance I have progressed significantly. 

Online Student

Michael is a kind, motivating, and caring teacher. He always gave positive reinforcement before he suggested what I needed to work on. He gave me new work just when I needed it so that I didn’t become bored with my studies.

Online Adult Student

Michael is very patient with this older student and I couldn’t be more appreciative of him!! I am blessed to have Michael as my instructor, as he is a truly, very talented and gifted young man.