Michael Severance has performed with the San Francisco Conservatory Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, Vallejo Choral Society, UC Berkeley Summer Symphony, and Oakland Youth Orchestra. In January 2009, he won the Felix Khuner Concerto Competition and took second prize in the Fremont Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition. In March 2009, he will perform the Weber Concerto in F Major with the Fremont Symphony Orchestra and as a soloist in Stravinsky's Firebird with the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra. In 2008, he was Principal Bassoon of the Oakland Youth Orchestra under Michael Morgan. In 2007, he played principal in the CBDA All-State Wind Symphony and was accepted to study at the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Interlochen, MI over the summer.

He is a two-time full merit scholarship recipient to the Summer Music at Stanislaus chamber session. He is currently studying bassoon at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he performs regularly in both orchestra concerts and chamber music recitals.

His teacher is Stephen Paulson, with whom he has studied since 2007. His former teachers include Dann Zinn and Erin Irvine. He enjoys playing music of all types, including orchestral, chamber, and solo music.