Miguel Atwood-Ferguson is a multi-instrumentalist, arranger, composer, music director, producer, DJ and educator based in his hometown of Los Angeles, California. The depth and range of Miguel's work is vast, having contributed to over 500 recordings and countless live concerts. Miguel has many interests and performs, tours and records with ensembles from all around the world, ranging from electronica, avant-garde, jazz, classical, hip-hop and pop to name a few.
In addition to working on various solo, duet, ensemble and concept records, Miguel also writes and performs arrangements for a wide array of artists and bands as well as leading his groups Quartetto Fantastico, The Miguel Atwood-Ferguson Ensemble and specialized orchestral configurations. All of this was set up by a career as a session violist and budding symphonic composer that started in his days as a junior high-school student at Paul Revere Middle School when The Pacific Palisades Symphony performed his Serenade in D Major. By the age of 17, Miguel had already been the feature of segments on KCET and the Disney Channel. He would later move on to the University of Southern California, where he graduated with a degree in Viola Performance.
As a violist, Miguel has many television credits, including appearances on The Jay Leno Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, The American Music Awards, MTV and at both the GRAMMY and the Oscar Awards. In orchestral settings, Miguel has joined the likes of John Williams, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Michael Tilson Thomas, Zubin Mehta, Emanuel Ax, James Galway, Sarah Chang, Feist, Roy Hargrove, Francisco Aguabella, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Wayne Shorter, Ray Brown, Brad Mehldau, Guru (Gang Starr), Vince Mendoza and Henry Mancini, among many others. He has recorded for will.i.am, Dr. Dre, Flying Lotus, Raphael Saadiq, Seu Jorge, Heath Ledger, Lianne La Havas, John Cale, Swizz Beatz, Eddie Murphy, No I.D., Barry Manilow, Kimbra, David Foster, Joss Stone, Bilal, Michael Bublé, Marisa Monte, Common, Randy Jackson and on Ray Charles' album Genius Loves Company.
He composes for any and all instruments, including symphony orchestras. This includes Miguel's song "Own It", which Oprah Winfrey chose to use as the theme music for the main promo of her new TV Network OWN.
