Since joining the year sevens at Fulwood High School and Arts College, the youngster has wowed staff and pupils with his talent.

After hearing him play at assembly, staff soon realised they were unable to further his skills so suggested he enrolled as a junior student at the renowned Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester.

He now spends every Saturday learning the viola as a second instrument after having achieved an astonishing Grade Nine at the keyboard.

Michael was born in Germany and after spending a year in China as a baby. He then moved with his parents to Texas in the United States where his love of piano began.

Michael said: "When we first went to America we stayed with friends and their daughter, who was a lot older than me, played the piano. I wanted to play so I went to a teacher when I was almost four."

In 2002 , when he was five, he won the "excellent" award in the Youth Piano Competition in the US.

Michael, whose father is a doctor, spent three years in the USA before his family returned to China.

In the space of three years he separately passed the five, seventh and ninth grade piano exams with "good" scores.

This was organised by the Music Examination Committee of the Chinese Musicians Association.

In July 2006, when he was only just nine, he won second place in the Grade Five of Zhaoshang-Yishanjun Youth Piano Competition.

Last summer, before moving to Preston, Michael was named the champion of the second mainland China Piano competition - the Mendelssohn Cup - after winning the national finals in Shanghai.

After recommendation from his Fulwood school music teacher Marie Louise Lane, he auditioned at the Royal Northern College of Music to learn a second instrument.
Mrs Lane described Michael as an "outstanding, hard-working pupil" who was "delightful with exceptional talent".

Michael is attending Fulwood High while his mum Renee Long is studying for a masters degree in her quest to become a doctor as part of the University of Central Lancashire's exchange programme with China.

She said: " He has had excellent support from the school's music department and the whole school is very proud of him."

He has no plans to follow his parents into medicine and hopes to become a businessman.

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