Though well regarded as a professor with full academic training, Michael Cox’s path to full time musical occupation began more informally, more or less at “street level.” In the 1970s, he began playing paying gigs when he was 15 under the supervision of his older brother Danny. His educational achievements include independent studies with jazz luminaries Joe Lovano and David Liebman.

Cox holds a Doctor of Arts degree in Saxophone Performance and Jazz Pedagogy from the University of Northern Colorado, a Master’s degree in Music Performance from Wichita State University, and a Bachelor’s degree from Cameron University in his home town of Lawton, Oklahoma. In the year 2000, Cameron University honored Dr. Cox with one of its three Alumni of the year awards, reflecting his commitment to academic tradition as well as his artistic pursuit of music as a performance art. He has maintained a continuous schedule as a freelance saxophone and woodwind soloist and performer. 

In his current home, Columbus, Ohio he has performed with the Columbus and Lancaster Symphonies, the Pro Musica Chamber Orchestra and is also featured in ensembles such as Brasileira, the Science Gravy Orchestra, The High Street Stompers, and the Black Swamp Saxophone Quartet. Cox has also performed with groups such as the Count Basie Orchestra and rock artist Don Henley. In 1999 he released the highly acclaimed recording Abstractions, Dedications and Red Dirt featuring Matt Wilson on drums and the late Dennis Irwin on bass, recorded at Systems 2 Studios in New York. Current recording projects include a new jazz CD and a CD of French classical chamber music by Pierre Max Dubois.