Name: Michael A. Siskov

DOB: 14.11

POB: Vienna / Austria

Instrument: Keys



I've started my piano-studies with the age of six in the music-school of our little town called Hinterbrühl in Lower Austria. My parents supported and almost forced me to practice every day since the age of 13. From this time on I decided to push my piano-studies on a higher and more professional level. This was also the time I met a hungarian professor called Laszlo Baranyay who taught at the Franz Liszt academy in Budapest and who always gave me the support and courage which kept me going. Hence, he is one of the most important persons in my life. After very intensive practice and great work of professor Silberbauer and professor Lee, I passed the audition for the Viennese Conservatoire of Music an dramatic arts. Luckily I immediately got a place in the class of professor Karl Barth - a man, to whom I owe a lot regarding my musicial knowledge. I also changed school and applied for the Musikgymnasium - the Viennese highschool for musical students - where professor Herbert Ortmayr intrigued me with his lessons on composition. It was in the Musikgymnasium too - in my last year before my matriculation - when I met Katie for the first time.

After my matriculation and the beginning of my non-artistic studies at the University of Vienna I fell into a nasty and depressive phase. My piano studies would not progress and an old, forgotten and ill-making stagefright appeared out of the blue until I finally lost confidence in my talent. In an act of despair and desolation I shattered all my studies by deciding to never touch an instrument again.

In the following months I merely concentraded on my study at the University of Vienna and on my work as a journalist. Altough my beloved partner Max always gave me the indispensable energy to go on, I still felt lost and disorientaded. This state lasted for about four years until Kati restored contact. She invited me to join her band and I agreed. Thus I met Phil and Rudee - and I came into contact with progressive metal like DT, Symphony X or Spiral Architect for the first time.