ABOUT

"Murray himself demonstrates a virtuosity and expressiveness that is awe-inspiring, bordering on wildly impressive."

-Ivan Rod

Mike Murray is an in-demand guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, bandleader and educator based in Toronto, ON, Canada. Proficient in a wide variety of styles and with a unique and virtuosic command of his instrument, Mike's playing has been turning heads in the Toronto music scene and beyond for over ten years. Known for his fearless approach to music and willingness to take on any challenge, Mike has played in countless groups and recorded numerous albums both as a bandleader and with Canadian and international artists across virtually all genres of popular music, as well as contemporary and traditional South Asian, Latin, Spanish, and Mediterranean styles.

After moving from his hometown of Thunder Bay, ON to Toronto and graduating from Humber College's prestigious Bachelor of Music program in 2014, Mike immediately made a name for himself as the guitarist for the Art Time Ensemble's Frank Zappa tribute. Since then he has performed with a diverse array of acts including musical theatre productions of Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, , Mamma Mia, Little Shop of Horror, Jagged Little Pill, In Dreams, Crazy For You, The Last Timbit, Shrek: The Musical, and more. He has also played with artists such as Bollywood superstars Karthik and Vijay Prakash, award-winning soul singer Jeremy Voltz, award-winning comedy act Garrett Jamieson and Sprattacus, the Toronto Raptor's Jack Armstrong, Mark Kelso's Jazz Exiles, Paul Delong's One Word, Sam Louis, El Ceibo Argentinian Folklore, Greek virtuoso Yiannis Kapoulas, and countless others as a session musician both live and in the studio. Currently he serves as musical director for the internationally renowned Pakistan-based Sufi rock group Mekaal Hasan Band and their international Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan tribute project. Mike is also an accomplished classical guitarist and performs regularly in solo settings. In addition to all types of guitar, Mike is a stringed instrument expert and is proficient on mandolin, octave mandolin, both Irish and Greek bouzouki, dobro, tenor and five string banjo, ukulele and many more.

As a bandleader, Mike released his debut album "Horizon" in March of 2022. Featuring Mike's virtuosic playing and genre-spanning compositions, this album was recorded entirely remotely during the COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 with the recording process being live-streamed on Twitch. "Horizon" released to critical acclaim and the band now performs regularly live, and has since released a live EP, "Live at Kensington Sound," in January 2023. The band is currently working towards recording a new record featuring expanded instrumentation in 2025.

Mike is also an avid and experienced educator, having taught at Centennial College's Music Industry Arts and Performance program since he was 24 years old. He also teaches independently where his approachable and student-focused method has helped hundreds of students realize their goals on the instrument, whether that be to advance as a player or to develop a music career of their own. He resides in Toronto with his wife.