Michael Cristiano

Biography

biography of Michael Cristiano

Biography

A Melbourne story untold

Michael Cristiano was born in Melbourne, Australia. There was always music in the house, as his father would pick up the guitar after dinner and play and sing songs from famous operas or folk songs from the Southern Italian village where his father was born.

musical prodigy at 6

Michael started taking classical guitar lessons at six years of age and hasn’t put the guitar down since. His natural gift for the instrument saw him progress rapidly, and by his early teens, he was already an accomplished musician.

Does it have strings?

He continued his studies and progressed to rock, fusion and jazz under the tuition of renowned Melbourne guitarist and teacher, Ray Smith. He then undertook further studies in composition and arrangement, even though he was writing “little songs” (as he called them) from the day he could hold a pen. A multi-instrumentalist, he also plays piano, drums and as he says “…anything that has strings on it”.

 14 going on 40

At fourteen he was already filling in for many dance bands on a Saturday night and usually singing the whole evening, as well as fronting his own bands ‘Rebel‘ and later ‘7th Avenue‘ formed with some school friends, playing Eagles, Steely Dan and AC/DC covers as well as original songs he had written. His reputation as a guitarist and vocalist grew and by the early 80’s was playing and singing on many recording sessions on numerous demos and jingles. His interest in recording and production grew, with Michael building a small recording studio in the family home. He continued to work on his own material and recorded demos for many artists.

 Graduation

After graduating from high school, he studied architecture for a year, but was already playing three to four nights a week in various pop and jazz bands, so he deferred his course and concentrated all his efforts on music.

 the 80's

In the mid-eighties he joined highly respected show band ‘Koco’ playing guitar and fronting the band as its lead singer (along with various female vocalists). This led to many engagements playing with the leading Australian and international touring acts of the day including Helen Shapiro, Johnny Ray, The Coasters, The Platters, The Drifters, Al Martino, Ricky May, Colleen Hewitt, The Supremes, Normie Rowe, Marcia Hines and Johnny Chester just to name a few, as well as opening for such artists as Dionne Warwick, Blood Sweat & Tears, The Supremes and The Seekers. His particular talents were in high demand by many touring acts and he worked as musical director for numerous international and local artists, eventually gaining the prestigious role of musical director for Australian legends The Seekers, performing sell-out shows across Australia and London’s Wembley Stadium and Royal Albert Hall. He also produced numerous platinum and gold-selling albums for the group and solo albums for the group’s members, Judith Durham, Bruce Woodley and Keith Potger.

 the 90's

In the mid-90’s he teamed up with country music star and close friend Donna Fisk as Fisk & Cristian, and together they wrote, recorded and released three albums, spawning numerous hits and earning them a swag of industry awards, including Vocal Duo Of The Year, Album Of The Year and Artists Of The Year. In 1998 they had a chart-topping hit with their song ‘Lara’ and rocketed into the ARIA charts with their self-penned Australian Football League anthem ‘Rock ‘N Footy’ which they ultimately performed to a sell-out crowd of 100,000 at Melbourne’s MCG Stadium (plus around 100 million people who witnessed the 1998 AFL Grand Final International satellite broadcast).

performer, composer, producer

Michael Cristiano is one of Australia’s most highly acclaimed performers, composers and record producers. As a producer, his name can be found on numerous chart-topping albums by such artists as The Seekers, Judith Durham, Russell Morris, Gene Pitney and Mirusia amongst many other big names. As a performer, he is renowned for his on-stage presence, unique, soulful voice and virtuoso guitar skills that continue to wow audiences worldwide. He is one of the country’s most respected musicians and composers and has taken home many prestigious music awards.

THE ORIGINAL SEEKERS

In 2019, The Seekers founding members Athol Guy, Keith Potger and Bruce Woodley joined Michael at his Soundplant recording studio to revisit songs they’d sung in earlier years, and a few they wish they had sung. The resulting album ‘Back To Our Roots’ was released to rave reviews and The Original Seekers (as they are now known) embarked on a sell-out national tour.

 2020 and beyond

In 2020, Michael released ‘Forever Grateful’, his song of acknowledgement and support for healthcare workers around the world during the COVID epidemic. The song and video was hugely popular and continues to be an anthem for all healthcare workers.

 hit after hit

With a string of ARIA Number one albums to his production portfolio and a new solo album in the works he continues to be one of the brightest and dynamic stars on the Australian music scene, dedicating his time and unique skills to both his own projects and those of emerging artists and established veterans alike.

“Michael is a highly respected musician and record producer who brings his magic to any setting, whether it be the stage with his guitar brilliance and voice or in his Soundplant Studio crafting magic moments for artists.”

Denis Walter OAM

“It’s been a privilege for me to work with Michael Cristiano on countless projects over the past 38 years. Whenever I know Michael is attached to a project I’m working on, I’m assured that everything will be perfect. Our industry is so much richer for having access to his many talents.”

Graham Simpson

Music Journalist and Rock Historian
“Michael Cristiano is a person who never ceases to amaze me. He is a great musician, producer, songwriter, live performer, arranger and singer. He is without doubt one of the most talented people in the business. I have worked with him on many projects that would not have had acclaim without his input. Many Aussie artists would feel the same way. He is both generous in his support of other performers and of sharing his considerable talent to add to other artists’ endeavour. His own work is always outstanding. He is definitely one of our ‘greats’ and a star in his own right.”

Mike Brady AM

7 Consecutive Number ONE

album productions

Number 1 ARIA Classical Albums Chart 2024
& Number 1 ARIA Classical/Crossover Albums Chart 2024
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Number 1 ARIA Classical/Crossover Albums Chart 2024
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Number 1 ARIA Classical/Crossover Albums Chart 2023
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Number 1 AIR Chart 2023 & No. 5 ARIA Australian Albums Charts
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Number 1 ARIA Classical/Crossover Albums Chart 2023
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Number 1 AIR Chart 2023
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A selected discography of albums produced by Michael Cristiano.