At seventeen he was the outstanding winner of the first Leeds International Piano Competition.

He studied piano with Fanny Waterman and later he took conducting lessons with Edgar Cosma in Paris. In 1974 he made a successful American debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Colin Davis.

Michael Roll appears regularly with the major orchestras of the United Kingdom both at home and abroad. He visited Hong Kong with the London Philharmonic, toured Japan with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Holland with the ECO, Germany and Switzerland with the BBC Symphony, Spain with the Royal Philharmonic, and Eastern Europe with the Scottish Chamber.

His festival appearances have included Aldeburgh, Bath, Edinburgh, Granada, Hong Kong, Vienna, and the prestigious Klavier-Festival Ruhr, Germany.

Michael Roll has played all over the world, working with such conductors as Boulez, Giulini, Leinsdorf, Masur, Previn and Sanderling.

He has released 3 CDs featuring Beethoven Concerto Cycle.

The first CD with the RPO under Howard Shelley for Tring Records has been enthusiastically received as an exceptionally fine recording (Gramophone).

The second CD of this cycle has been awarded the Gramophone's Editor's choice.

The third one has received exceptionally fine reviews both in Gramophone and in BBC Music Magazine.

Michael Roll is now widely recognized as one of the finest interpreters of Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and Schumann.