Michael Troy has been an active pianist/keyboardist for more than twenty years. First approaching the keyboard at age twelve, he took it upon himself to master his chosen instrument, eschewing the suburban rite of passage known as "piano lessons" in favor of kneeling at the feet of several masters, via the marvels of modern audio recording, and the benefit of a really good ear.
Michael spent much of the mid-nineties promoting his first recording project, the album Sudden Enchantment, a collection of New Age piano compositions, in the style of Yanni and John Tesh, within the greater Central Pennsylvania region.
In his mid-twenties, he headed west, and spent several years living and working as a pianist in Las Vegas, NV, performing in such lofty establishments as the Golden Gate Inn, the Monte Carlo, and several special events at Bally's and the Rio. He was a regular performer at the Imperial Palace's 5th floor Nomiya Lounge, entertaining the diverse clientèle with a wide variety of arpeggio-embellished pop-piano standards.
If you asked him about his time in the City of Sin, he'd probably just shrug it off, tell you that it was a surreal experience, and probably reference a certain ubiquitous marketing cliché that's become part of the public lexicon. Still, his tenure as a Vegas lounge lizard provided him valuable performance experience, expanded his already bulging repertoire, and taught him how to really play to his audience.
The talented keyboardist has been part of many musical projects over the years, plying his trade in tap houses and music halls across this great nation in a variety of musical styles; though his list of personal influences draw deeply from classic rock and roll and heavy metal, including Kansas, Styx, Journey, Rainbow, and Deep Purple (particularly the work of DP keyboardist Jon Lord), Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Ronnie James Dio and neo-classical metal guitar virtuoso Yngwie J. Malmsteen.
In the last year, Michael Troy and his music have begun to attract international attention, as the subject of a feature profile in the October 2007 issue of Keyboard magazine, a vibrant and aggressive presence online, and handling keyboard duty for Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force's 2007 South American tour. Throughout 2008, Michael will continue to perform with Malmsteen, touring in support of the Maestro's highly anticipated upcoming release.
