Michael Stephen "Mike" Portnoy is an American drummer primarily known as the former drummer, backing vocalist, and a co-founder of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. Known for his drumming prowess and technical skill, Portnoy has won 23 awards from the Modern Drummer magazine. He has co-produced the last six Dream Theater albums with guitarist John Petrucci, starting from Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory. From A Change of Seasons onwards, Portnoy had been writing a substantial amount of Dream Theater's lyrics. He is the second youngest person (after Neil Peart) to be inducted into the Modern Drummer's Hall of Fame (at 37 years of age). On September 8, 2010, it was announced that Portnoy had left Dream Theater. Portnoy cited conflicting interests as the reason behind his departure. On February 3, 2011, Portnoy announced that he has started a new project with Symphony X singer Russell Allen and guitarist Mike Orlando. Also he is involved in various projects with Neal Morse.

KNOWN FOR

That Metal Show
2008
Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage
2010
Transatlantic: KaLIVEoscope
2014
Phil Collins: Drummer First
2024
Yellow Matter Custard: One Night in New York City
2003
Morsefest 2019
2021
Yellow Matter Custard: One More Night in New York City
2011
G3 - Live in Tokyo
2005
Metal Meltdown - Featuring Twisted Sister Live at the Hard Rock Casino Las Vegas
2016
Neal Morse: Question Mark and Sola Scriptura Live
2017
Neal Morse: Testimony Two - Live in Los Angeles
2011
The Neal Morse Band: Alive Again
2016

FILMOGRAPHY

All
Movies
TV
Acting
138
Directing
5
Writing
2
Editing
2
Sound
1
Art
3
2025
Dream Theater - Parasomnia
2025
Quarantième: Live à Paris
as Drums
2025
Dream Theater - Quarantième: Live à Paris
as Drums and Vocals
2024
Transatlantic: Morsefest 2022 - The Absolute Whirlwind
as Self
2024
Neal Morse - Cruise to the Edge: Awakening - The Movie
as Self
2024
Morsefest 2023: Testimony feat. NMB
as Self
2024
Phil Collins: Drummer First
as Self
2023
Transatlantic: The Final Flight: Live At L'Olympia
as Self
2023
Morsefest 2020: Sola Gratia
as Self
2023
Morsefest 2020: Cover2Cover
as Self
2022
The Neal Morse Band: A U.S. Tour Of Innocence And Danger
as Self
2022
The Neal Morse Band: Morsefest 2021
as Self
2022
Morse, Portnoy, Gillette, Hubauer & Friends: Live in Cancun 2022
2021
Liquid Tension Experiment 3
2021
Mike Portnoy: The Absolute Universe
2021
Neal Morse: The Making of Lifeline
as Self
2021
The Neal Morse Band: The Making of Innocence & Danger
as Self
2021
Morsefest 2019
as Self
2021
The Making of the Absolute Universe by Transatlantic
as Self
2021
Mike Portnoy - LTE3
as Himself - Drums
2021
Transatlantic - The Absolute Universe
as Self
2020
Neal Morse: The Making of Sola Gratia
as Self
2020
Transatlantic: Live At Sweden Rock 2014
as Self
2020
The Neal Morse Band : The Great Adventour - Live in BRNO 2019
as Self
2020
Mike Portnoy : MPMMXX Drum Cam
2020
Flying Colors : Third Stage - Live in London
as Self
2019
Sons of Apollo - Live with the Plovdiv Psychotic Symphony - Documentary
as Self
2019
Mike Portnoy: The Great Adventure
2019
Mike Portnoy: Third Degree
2019
The Neal Morse Band – Live In Limbourg
as Self
2019
The Neal Morse Band: The Great Adventure Commentary
as Self
2019
The Neal Morse Band: The Adventure Begins (The Making Of The Great Adventure)
as Self
2019
Sons Of Apollo: Live With The Plovdiv Psychotic Symphony
as Self
2018
Haken - Live at ProgPower USA 2016
as Gong (Guest Appearance)
2018
Mike Portnoy: The Similitude of a Dream Live
2018
Haken - L-1VE
2018
The Neal Morse Band : The Similitude of A Dream - Live in Tilburg 2017
as Self
2018
Morsefest 2017 - Testimony of a Dream
as Self
2017
Morsefest 2015: Question Mark
as Self
2017
Morsefest 2015: Sola Scriptura
as Self
2017
Neal Morse: Question Mark and Sola Scriptura Live
as Self - Drums, Vocals
2017
The Winery Dogs : Dog Years - Live in Santiago and Beyond 2013-2016
as Himself - Drums
2016
The Neal Morse Band: The Making of a Dream
as Self
2016
The Neal Morse Band: Cruise to the Edge
as Self
2016
Metal Meltdown - Featuring Twisted Sister Live at the Hard Rock Casino Las Vegas
as Himself - Drums
2016
The Neal Morse Band: Alive Again
as Self
2015
Mike Portnoy: Hot Drums
2015
Mike Portnoy: Metal Drumming
2015
Neal Morse: The Making of ?
as Self
2015
Neal Morse: The Sola Scriptura Sessions
as Self
2015
The Neal Morse Band: The Making of The Grand Experiment
as Self
2015
The Neal Morse Band: Live in Athens
as Self
2015
Morsefest 2014: Testimony
as Self
2015
Morsefest 2014: One
as Self
2015
Flying Colors : Second Flight - Live at The Z7
as Self
2015
Building the Beast: The Making of Metal Allegiance
as Self
2014
Mike Portnoy: Drumming Nature
2014
Mike Portnoy: Kaleidodrums
2014
Transatlantic: The Making of Kaleidoscope
as Self
2014
The Neal Morse Band - Live In India
as Self
2014
Flying Colors: Second Nature Video Anthology
as Self
2014
Transatlantic: KaLIVEoscope
as Self - Drums
2014
Neal Morse: Morsefest - Testimony & One feat. Mike Portnoy Live
as Self
2014
The Winery Dogs: [2014] Sonisphere Festival
as Himself - Drums
2014
The Winery Dogs - Unleashed in Japan
as Himself - Drums
2013
Neal Morse: Live Momentum
as Self
2013
Portnoy Sheehan MacAlpine Sherinian: Live in Tokyo
as Self - Drums
2013
Mike Portnoy: The Drumming Dog
2013
Mike Portnoy: Live Momentum
2013
The Neal Morse Band/The Flower Kings: 19 Days in Europe
as Self
2013
Flying Colors: Live in Europe
as Self - Drums
2012
Neal Morse: The Making of Momentum
as Self
2012
The Making of Flying Colors
as Self
2012
Mike Portnoy: Testimony 2: Live in Los Angeles
as Himself
2012
Mike Portnoy - Drumerta
as Himself
2012
Mike Portnoy - Drumming Colors
as Himself
2012
PSMS Portnoy, Sheehan, MacAlpine & Sherinian: InstruMENTAL Inspirations
2012
Morse Portnoy George: The Making of Cover 2 Cover
as Self
2012
Neal Morse: One Under Construction
as Self
2011
Transatlantic: More Never Is Enough
as Self
2011
Yellow Matter Custard: One More Night in New York City
as Self - Drums
2011
Transatlantic: The Official Bootleg DVD
as Self
2011
Neal Morse: The Making of Testimony Two
as Self
2011
Neal Morse: Testimony Two - Live in Los Angeles
as Self
2011
Stone Sour: Rock In Rio 2011
as Himself - Drums
2011
Dream Theater: The Spirit Carries On
as Himself
2011
Dream Theater: Panem et Circensis
as Drums and backing vocals
2011
Neal Morse: Testimony 2...For You.
2010
Mike Portnoy - Whirlwind Drumming
as Himself
2010
Mike Portnoy on the “Art Of Drumming” with Terry Bozzio
2010
Transatlantic: Whirld Tour 2010: Live from Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London
as Self
2010
Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage
as Self
2009
Mike Portnoy - Black Clouds and Silver Drumming
as Himself
2009
Transatlantic: The Making of the Whirlwind
as Self
2009
Liquid Tension Experiment: Live In LA
as Himself - Drums
2009
Liquid Tension Experiment: Live In NYC
2009
Dream Theater - Santiago, Chile 12/6/05
as Himself
2008
Dream Theater: Chaos in Motion
as Himself - Drums
2008
Neal Morse: Live at 3RP
as Self
2008
Liquid Tension Experiment - LTE Live 2008
2008
Mike Portnoy - Score
2008
That Metal Show
2007
Mike Portnoy - In Constant Motion
as Himself - Drums
2007
Dream Theater: Bucharest, Romania
as Himself
2007
Mike Portnoy - sysDRUMatic Chaos
as Himself
2007
Neal Morse: The Making of Testimony
as Self
2007
Dream Theater: Chaos in Progress: The Making of Systematic Chaos
as Drums / Vocals
2006
Dream Theater: Score - 20th Anniversary World Tour
as Himself - Drums
2006
Transatlantic - Building the Bridge / Live in America
as Self
2006
Amazing Journey: One Night in New York City
as Himself - Drums
2006
Hammer of the Gods: Two Nights in North America
as Himself - Drums
2006
Dream Theater: The Score So Far...
as Himself
2006
Dream Theater: Romavarium
as Self - Drums
2005
Mike Portnoy - Live at Budokan
as Himself
2005
Mike Portnoy - Drumavarium
2005
G3 - Live in Tokyo
as Drums
2005
Cygnus and the Sea Monsters: One Night in Chicago
as Himself - Drums
2005
Dream Theater: A Walk Beside the Band
as Himself - Drums
2005
Dream Theater: Dark Side of the Moon
as Drums and Vcoals
2004
Dream Theater: Live at Budokan
as Himself - Drums
2004
Dream Theater: Riding the Train of Thought
as Self
2004
Mike Portnoy - Drums of Thought
as Himself
2004
Dream Theater: When Dream and Day Reunite
as Drums
2004
Mike Portnoy: Progressive Drum Concepts
2004
Neal Morse: Testimony Live
as Self
2003
Modern Drummer Festival Weekend 2003
as Self
2003
Transatlantic - Live in Europe
as Self - Drums, Backing Vocals
2003
Yellow Matter Custard: One Night in New York City
as Self - Drums
2002
Mike Portnoy - Drums Across Forever
as Himself
2002
Mike Portnoy - Ten Degrees of Turbulent Drumming
as Himself
2002
Dream Theater: [2002] Rotterdamned
2001
Dream Theater: Metropolis 2000 - Scenes From New York
as Himself - Drums
2001
Mike Portnoy - Liquid Drum Theater
as Himself - Drums
2000
Transatlantic: The Making of SMPTe
as Self
1998
Dream Theater: 5 Years in a Livetime
as Himself
1994
Dream Theater: The Rudess Experiment
as Himself - Drums
1993
Dream Theater: Images And Words - Live In Tokyo
as Himself - Drums
Dream Theater – Live At Tokyo Sun Plaza