Michael Pilhofer
Drummer (noun): four-limbed juggler; the musical heartbeat of a group.
Michael Pilhofer is The Park Center’s drummer, literally and figuratively. The 56-year-old recent Clam Lake transplant and longtime musician serves as Director of Programming for The Park, responsible for building a calendar with 40 varied and interesting performances each year.
That’s a huge undertaking, but just one of the many roles Michael plays as a volunteer at the Park. This Friday, he’ll be onstage as one of the featured performers in Christmas at The Park, our second annual holiday music show. He’s the P in the WPK Trio, whose other members are Phil Kadidlo on piano and keyboards and Mark Weisberg on bass. The three have known and worked with each other for over thirty years as top-call musicians in the Twin Cities. Singer Judi Vinar and trumpeter Steve Wagner are also long-time colleagues and will be joining Friday’s show.
As part of his role as Program Director, Michael collects promotional material for the acts he books, and occasionally shoots and edits performance videos for The Park’s YouTube channel and Facebook feed. (Click Here to see videos of our 2025 Artist Showcase series: https://www.youtube.com/@TheParkCenter
While any of these tasks are time-consuming and demanding, the role Michael enjoys most is that of Front of House (FOH) Sound Engineer. FOH, he says, is where the magic happens.
“Running sound is the most important role to make the band sound good,” said Michael. “I can make a good band sound great, and a great band sound even better. I thoroughly love it.”
Music has been a lifelong passion. His mother was a professional studio and jazz singer, his stepfather a renowned drummer and educator, and his father a talented composer and jazz pianist.
He began his professional musical career at 17 and holds a bachelor’s degree in Jazz Studies from the University of Miami and a Master’s Degree in Music Education from The Eastman School of Music. He returned to his Twin Cities hometown in 1992 to pursue music full-time as a performer and educator.
He and his wife also ran their own strength and conditioning gym — MSP Fitness — for 11 years before COVID altered their plans. They moved to their Clam Lake cabin full-time several years ago. He considers himself semi-retired, but is often called to perform back in the Cities.
“Now that I’m semi-retired, I have the luxury of being able to play the music I want to play,” he said. “I want to play great music with wonderful people for an audience who cares.” That sense of caring is what makes his work at The Park Center so satisfying.
“The Hayward community is so thoughtful and respectful of the musicians/artists,” said Michael. “Whether they’re familiar with the performers or not, the audience takes in what they offer and gives it back. As a musician, that’s an incredible feeling.”
“It’s a magical experience when the audience is engaged and participating in the moment of a musical creation. It’s a perfect environment for a musician,” he said. “I hope that means that what we do here matters to the community. I want people to think that it’s amazing that they live in the Northwoods and can hear top-quality artists right here in their own backyard.”
He also appreciates that The Park Center’s Board of Directors is open to challenging audiences. He felt classical music was underrepresented in its programming, so he is particularly looking forward to the 2026 Chamber Music Series featuring classical music: piano and violin in March, a string trio and piano in May, and string quartet, piano, and voice in November.
“I feel like I’m at a time in my life that I want to do things that matter,” said Michael. “And I love music. This work at The Park is perfect for my skill set. There’s a special energy about this place. I’m excited to be in a position to help make this place matter.”