Michael Howell, the breakout star of Channel 4's The Piano, is set to appear at the Classically Black festival this Saturday, 10th October, at Kings Place in King's Cross. The festival, now in its third year, is the first Black and global majority classical music festival in the country and has become a crucial part of London's music scene, with performances and talks advancing the conversation that classical music can be for everybody.
Advocating for Intersectional Identities
Howell, who played at the festival last year, has been invited back to speak on a panel. "The subject is called Under the Skin, One People, which talks about, the intersectional identities, and the challenges that myself as a neuro-divergent musician face and also being a black man in classical music as well," he says.
The 27-year-old from Brentford is clear about the challenges he faces in the industry. "Firstly, there's being neuro-divergent and being misunderstood. I've worked in the music industry before with somebody and at first they were very excited to work with me, but I have some productivity issues relating to ADHD - immediately they dismissed me as being lazy, and not being serious. Saying, 'you need to get your act together if you really want this, you would have done the work by now.' I understood the perspective of where the person was coming from, but at the same time it was very disingenuous and did not consider my challenges and issues."
Breaking Stereotypes
He continues, "The next aspect is being stereotyped as a Black man. I'm often judged as being a rapper or an R&B singer. I was on the train once and somebody was just making friendly conversation, and they said, what is it I do? And I said, I'm a musician. And then I said to him that I, I'm an operatic singer and composer and pianist, and he was shocked. He said, 'I thought you were going to say you were a rapper or an R&B singer.' That is just one aspect of the racial tensions and judgments."
Self-Taught Journey
Howell is entirely self-taught on the piano, which began at 11 when he used a phone app to learn how to play. As a younger child, he had an instinctive affinity for music, saying, "I would mimic sounds on British Airways adverts and Songs of Praise." He held onto this impulse even as he began to make his own compositions, famously singing in his own language, displayed powerfully on The Piano in the song Great is the Grief.
"The phenomenon you're referring to is called Echolalian," he says, "It there from the beginning. I listened to a lot of opera and I wouldn't understand a word what was being said, but I understood the emotion and I understood how to replicate it. So I used what I call abstract vocalism. It's the manipulation of foreign languages - Italian, German, French – so it sounds like it's those, but it isn't, it's made up. The voice is treated solely like an instrument rather than having a lyrical meaning. It expresses the power of music because music surpasses lyrical meaning, or language understanding. We're now dealing with music being the meaning itself, the sound being the meaning itself, and the emotions is brought through the sound of the music rather than the lyrics. That was my way of doing things."
Discovery and Recognition
His talents were discovered at Richmond-upon-Thames college, where he was spotted by Paul Smith, who encouraged Howell and pressed the college to fund the recording of Great is the Grief. Once it was out on Spotify and YouTube, it quickly gained attention and the BBC ran a story on his remarkable story, before The Piano came calling. "I just hoped to het in and I did. I'll never forget, it was Victoria Station around February 2024, we did the filming and I met Claudia Winkleman. I remember she said to me, 'The station was empty until you opened your mouth and sung.' it was a beautiful experience and then also the final down at Manchester as well, that was very magical."
Currently, Howell is working on his debut album, with a plan to release it in 2027. "I've been working in the background on funding for that and have had support from the Will Smith Emerging Artists Fund. I did get to meet him and shake his hand, and it's great to have his endorsement. But I need more capital to make this a good quality album."
Howell's message remains strong: "I believe that music is a pure form that moves people and touches souls and hearts. That is my main agenda really, and to express my inner personal feelings as well for the music, and also represent being a neuro-divergent black person in classical music. To show people that it is possible to carve out an artist's career in music." Michael Howell is appearing at Classically Black on 10th October.
