Michael Taplin is a composer whose music has been described as “very original and beautiful” (Jo Kondo, judge 2023 Toru Takemitsu Composition Award). His music has been performed by some of the UK's leading orchestras and ensembles including the Philharmonia and the London Symphony Orchestra. Highlights include the premiere of Lambent Fires (commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Society) and Ebbing Tides (which received critical acclaim when premiered with the London Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Fabien Gabel). Ebbing Tides was released in May 2020 on the LSO Live Label as part of the third edition of the LSO Panufnik Legacies Series.

Michael is increasingly becoming in demand abroad with performances and premieres of his music in prestigious international music festivals such as the Archipel Festival in Geneva, Switzerland, 2017 ISCM World Music Days' in Vancouver, Canada and at the 2019 Gaudeamus Muziekweek. His music has also been broadcast on Swiss Radio Espace 2, BBC Radio 3 and NHK Japanese Radio. In 2020, Michael was commissioned to write a postcard piece for one of the leaders of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Igor Yuzefovich, as part of BBC Radio 3's Postcards from Composers project.

Most recently his orchestral piece, Selvedge, was premiered by the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Kozuke Tsunoda in Tokyo, Japan at the Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall: Takemitsu Memorial and awarded 1st Prize by judge Jo Kondo at the 2023 Toru Takemitsu Composition Award.