Michael Allen Harrison is an American composer from Portland, Oregon, who has enjoyed several decades of success with concert series such as Ten Grands and Christmas at the Old Church. His first album was released in 1966, and he has played for audiences all over the world including the United Nations, President Bill Clinton, Margaret Thatcher, and the Dalai Lama.
Mr. Harrison started the Snowman Foundation because music is one of two endeavors that use a person’s entire brain; the other is learning a new language. Since the Foundation’s inception in 2000, over 3 million dollars has been raised for music education.
A primary focus of the Snowman Foundation is Play it Forward, a non-profit organization that supports musical education by collecting and donating musical instruments, and giving music instruction scholarships to disadvantaged children. Just last year, Play it Forward took in 1,000 used pianos, including a Steinway that was restored and gifted to a family with two talented pianists.
In 2015, Mr. Harrrison teamed up with the Tigard Noon Rotary Club to produce “Ten Grands on the Green,” a concert benefiting the Snowman and Tigard Rotary foundations. Ten Grands on the Green follows the pattern of the Ten Grands series of concerts created by the musician. At Ten Grands on the Green, Mr. Harrison is joined by many young, talented pianists and vocalists for a musical celebration on the beautiful outdoor stage at The Reserve Vineyard and Golf Course. The 2017 Ten Grands on the Green concert will be held on Sunday, July 30.