Michael Beeston was a student of Frederick Riddle at the Royal Manchester College of Music.  A passionate commitment to chamber music was, he says, fostered by Alexandre Moskovsky (of the Hungarian Quartet), and Cecil Cohen.

In addition to regular guest appearances as principal viola with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and others, he was Musical Director of the Aberdeen International Youth Festival from 1995 to 1999, and is currently involved in the Mendelssohn on Mull Festival.

Formerly a member of the Edinburgh Quartet, he has also taken students for many years at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (formerly the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama) in Glasgow, St Mary's Music School in Edinburgh and the City of Edinburgh Music School, as well as NESMS.

Michael plays a viola by J. Albani (1720) while retaining an admiration for instruments by George Wulme Hudson and Victor Unsworth.