Michael James Houstoun, born on October 20, 1952 in Timaru, New Zealand, is a concert pianist who began playing piano at age five. He studied under Sister Mary Eulalie and Maurice Till, winning every major New Zealand piano competition as a teenager. Houstoun competed internationally in the Van Cliburn (1973), Leeds (1975), and Tchaikovsky (1982) competitions, placing third, fourth, and sixth respectively. He studied at the Curtis Institute of Music from 1974 to 1981 and returned to New Zealand in 1981. At age 40, he completed and recorded the complete cycle of Beethoven sonatas. He repeated his Beethoven sonata cycle performance in 2013. Houstoun received the New Zealand Commemoration Medal in 1990 and was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2012 for his services as a pianist. He also notably overcame focal hand dystonia through various treatments including physiotherapy and acupuncture.
![Mozart: Idomeneo (Excerpts), Piano Concerto, K. 488 & Piano Quintet and Winds, K. 452 [Live]](https://cdn-images.dzcdn.net/images/cover/1b4fa82476753ca5e3b709a625c90b20/120x120-000000-80-0-0.jpg)
