Michael Short has been Director of Choral Activities at Orange High School since the spring of 1982. And is the director and founder of the Orange Community Master Chorale established in 1994. He has been the Director of Music at the First United Methodist Church since 1988.

He received degrees from Chapman College (BM) in Orange, California, 1979 and his Masters degree from the California State University at Fullerton ,1988. He is currently organizing the concerts for the Western Division of the American Choral Directors Association Conference in Pasadena .

In 1995 Mr. Short created the “City of Orange Tree Lighting and Candlelight Procession” in downtown Orange and that summer the “Third of July” held at Fred Kelly Stadium. He has conducted hundreds of performers in each of these programs. 

Mr. Short received the “Bravo Award” from the Los Angeles Music Center, and named “Teacher of the Year” for Orange Unified School District. He was Chapman University’s Alumnus for the Year 2004, and named “City of Orange’s Citizen of the Year for 2005”. Mr. Short also received the “Chapman University Alumni in the Arts Award” in 2015.   He has been married to Vicki since 1982 and their two children are Katherine Hicks, married to Jarod and Matthew Short married to Jessica and a new grandpa to Milo born in January.

Mr. Short’s choirs have performed with Shania Twain, Josh Groban, the Bare Naked Ladies and Kenny Loggins.  They have appeared in two films, “Ed Wood” and “Sister Act 2” with Dr. Hall and on the soundtrack for the movie “With Great Power:  The Stan Lee Story” recorded at Capital Records Studios.  In May of 2009 Mr. Short had his conducting debut at Carnegie Hall performing “Lux Aeterna” by Morten Lauridsen.  In May, 2017 he returned to New York and conducted “Carmina Burana” with over 200 musicians on Stage.