Mike Blankenship

arranger

Mike Blankenship is an Oakland-raised pianist, composer, arranger, producer, and educator whose career spans more than two decades across jazz, R&B, soul, hip-hop, gospel, and contemporary music. A longtime collaborator within the Bay Area music community, Mike has performed and toured internationally with artists including Ms. Lauryn Hill, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Sheila E., and Ledisi, while building an extensive body of work as a composer, arranger, musical director, and recording artist.

Mike has a longstanding creative relationship with the Oakland Symphony, contributing as an arranger, pianist, and collaborator on performances that bring together orchestral music and the rich musical traditions of Oakland. His work with the Symphony includes arranging for the Symphony’s Playlist concert honoring civil rights icon Angela Davis; arranging and performing for the Symphony’s annual Let Us Break Bread Together celebration; and performing as part of the world premiere of Kev Choice’s Soul Restoration Suite.

Beyond the stage, Mike is the co-founder and Managing Director of Yeah, Art!, an Oakland-based nonprofit providing young people with access to music production, songwriting, digital art, animation, and creative technology education. He is also a Governor of the Recording Academy’s San Francisco Chapter and co-leads Black London, a Bay Area collective with Kev Choice and Howard Wiley dedicated to celebrating and advancing the legacy of Black music.

Across his work as a performer, arranger, producer, and educator, Mike’s career reflects a deep connection to Oakland and a commitment to creating pathways between the city’s musical legacy, its contemporary artists, and the next generation of creators.