At the age of 16, won the 1st Prize at the BBC Young Musician of the Year Competition, and had his US début at Carnegie Hall at the age of 22. Since that day, the artist has frequently performed solo with numerous orchestras of great renown, and let himself be recognised as a great chamber musician.
Collins’s recordings include “The Gnarly Buttons” Clarinet concerto by John Adams with London Sinfonietta conducted by the composer (Sony Classical, written especially for Collins, Grammy Award nomination, 1999), Clarinet trios by Brahms, Schumann and Frühling recorded with Steven Isserlis and Stephen Hough (BMG), Violin concerto by Beethoven (arranged by Mikhail Pletniev for the clarinet), Clarinet concerto by Mozart with the Russian National Orchestra under Pletniev (Deutsche Grammophon), Clarinet concerto by Gregson with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra (Chandos, 2003), 1st and 2nd Clarinet concerto by Spohr with the Swedish Chamber Orchestra and Clarinet concerto by John Corigliano with the BBC Symphonic Orchestra under Leonard Slatkin during the BBC Proms (Hyperion, 2005).
Furthermore, Michael Collins made also the world premieres of the Clarinet concerto by Elliott Carter, Riffs and Refrains by Mark-Anthony Turnage written for him to the commission from Halle Orchestra (2005), dedicated to the soloists of the Double concerto for violin and clarinet “Noesis” by Erkki-Sven Tüür, with the violinist Isabelle van Keulen and Detroit Symphonic Orchestra under Neem Järvi (2005), Concertino by Benjamin at Cadogan Hall (Londyn 2005).
In the season 2005–2006, the artist worked with a range of recognised orchestras including Stockholm Sinfonietta, Gewandhaus Orchestra Leipzig, Philharmonia Orchestra and London Sinfonietta, and toured South America with the Scottish BBC Symphonic Orchestra.
Michael Collins regularly performs with the Belcea Quartet, Martha Argerich, Stephen Hough, Mikhail Pletniev, Lars Vogt, Joshua Bell, Steven Isserlis, and Isabelle van Keulen. Since 1988 he has worked with his ensemble London Winds (world premiere of Octet by Robin Holloway, 2001) and in a trio with Isabelle van Keulen and Peter Jablonski.
Michael Collins plays Peter Eaton International instruments.