Michael Pinnella


Michael Pinnella is a keyboard player, most notably for the band Symphony X. He has released two solo albums, titled Enter By the Twelfth Gate and Ascension, of mostly instrumental, classical-styled progressive metal. Michael is one of two Symphony X members to appear on all nine of the band's albums.

Biography

Pinnella was born in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey and was encouraged since childhood to follow music. When he was four years old, he started taking piano lessons. He was heavily influenced by classic composers like Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, and Bach.
When he was about 11 years old, he started to practice more seriously. Later in his youth, he was impressed by Yngwie Malmsteen and asked his parents to buy him a keyboard. When he got into college, he studied piano performance, theory and composition, and other musical courses. Other influences came from progressive/metal bands from the 1970s and from the 1980s.
When Pinnella finished college, he started teaching piano in a music store. One of the fellow teachers at the store was friends with Michael Romeo from Symphony X. In 1994, he was hired by the band as a keyboardist.
He is currently working in East Brunswick, NJ when not touring or recording.
Pinnella's nephew, Chris Pinnella, is a vocalist who worked with Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

Equipment

Pinnella uses the following equipment: