Michele Solberg is a seasoned musician with over 30 years of performing and recording experience in Austin, Texas, and the surrounding areas. Her career began with early recognition, earning multiple awards at the Austin Music Awards, including #1 Best Tape (1993-94), #2 Female Vocalist (1994-95), and #4 Singer-Songwriter (1994-95). She also performed at the 11th Annual Austin Music Awards. Michele has released seven albums, and her voice has been widely praised for its distinctiveness. Critics describe it as memorable and emotionally impactful, with a sharp, original style that incorporates unusual phrasing and unexpected turns in pitch. This voice, grounded and evocative, is recognized as one of the most distinctive in the Austin music scene.

Michele’s long-standing musical partnership with her husband and fellow musician Oliver Steck includes a residency at the Evangeline Cafe in South Austin, where she built a rich and diverse repertoire. This collection of songs spans the Great American Songbook and the works of iconic songwriters like Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Tom Waits, and Leonard Cohen. Since 2016, she has also been the featured vocalist of the Austin Benny Goodman tribute ensemble, Sammy’s Satin Sounds, further expanding her musical range and performance history.

Her time living in Denmark in 1999-2000 had a profound impact on her perspective on music. Michele returned to Austin in 2001 with a new understanding of music as a form of community service. This realization led her to create “Heart Gigs,” a program designed to connect musicians with non-profit organizations and provide live performances for people in need. Through Heart Gigs, Michele booked musicians to perform at venues like SafePlace’s shelter, Hospice Austin’s Christopher House, and the University Baptist Church’s soup kitchen. This initiative allowed musicians to interact directly with the clients of these organizations, offering a form of artistic expression that fostered connection and healing. Michele played at Hospice Austin’s Christopher House once a week from 2002 to 2007, and in 2006, she released a CD, Christopher House Songs, which raised over $54,000 in donations for the hospice. Her dedication to this cause earned her the Greenlights’ Nonny Award in 2007, a recognition of her outstanding service to the community.

Since 2007, Michele has made South Austin her home, living with her husband, Oliver Steck, and their daughter, Eleanor. Alongside her music career, Michele has worked for 25 years as the Operations Manager at the University Writing Center at the University of Texas at Austin, balancing her passion for music with her professional role in higher education.

Through her music, community involvement, and professional work, Michele Solberg has built a career that not only showcases her distinctive musical talents but also highlights her deep commitment to using art as a tool for social good and service to others.

“In the early Nineties, Michele Solberg was one of Austin’s hottest new talents. Just past 20 years old, the singer-songwriter was featured prominently in the Austin Music Awards from 1992-95. She moved to Europe late in the decade, but returned in 2001 to release the sultry Beyond the Blue. Her first set of original music since then, Harvest Time presents a challenging concept as Solberg follows the fool’s journey of the tarot. One doesn’t need to understand that bit of arcana to appreciate Solberg’s return, however. Harvest Time is at times jazzy; at others noisy. “Sometimes” is intensely introspective and “Dogs Are on the Loose” appears to be defiantly political. Musically eclectic and lyrically adventurous, Solberg emerges somewhere between Tom Waits and Suzanna Choffel. Her partner Oliver Steck, perhaps best known for his work with Slaid Cleaves, adds an unlikely combination of trumpet, keyboards, and accordion. All told, Harvest Time is a welcome return for someone who remains one of Austin’s most distinctive voices.”- Austin Chronicle-Jim Caligiuri, FRI., SEPT. 7, 2012

Albums

  • Skin (1992)
  • Shrill (1993)
  • Michele Solberg (1994, Chocolate Records)
  • Liquid (1996, Crystal Clear Records)
  • Floating (1998, self-released)
  • Beyond the Blue (2001, Chocolate Records)
  • Christopher House Songs (2006, Hospice Austin)
  • Harvest Time (2012)