"Donal Fox is a remarkable pianist who has positioned himself on the cutting edge of jazz by incorporating classical techniques and melodies. The pinnacle of his achievement is found in his blending of Monk and Bach, in his vivid reimaginings of the Modern Jazz Quartet, and in such dazzling original works as 'Scarlatti Jazz Suite' and 'Italian Concerto Blues.' Donal is one of a small handful of musicians who embody the promise of jazz's future." -- Gary Giddins, jazz journalist and author

DONAL FOX is internationally acclaimed as composer, pianist, and improviser in both the jazz and classical fields. His numerous awards include a 1997 Guggenheim Fellowship in music composition, a 1998 Fellowship from the Bogliasco Foundation (Italy), and 1999, 2001, and 2003 nominations for a CalArts/Alpert Award in the Arts. Mr. Fox's exciting and innovative "Jazz Duet Series" has included concerts, recordings, and collaborations with Oliver Lake, John Stubblefield, Billy Pierce, David Murray, Elliott Sharp, Regina Carter, Andrew Cyrille, Stefon Harris, Al Foster, George Mraz, Gary Burton, Terri Lyne Carrington, John Patitucci, Lewis Nash and poet Quincy Troupe to name a few. He has recorded as composer and pianist for New World Records, Evidence Records, Music & Arts, Passin' Thru Records, Yamaha's Original Artist Series, and Wergo Records.. Mr. Fox served as the first African American composer-in-residence with the St. Louis Symphony from 1991 to 1993. In the l993-94 season, Mr. Fox was a special guest artist at the Library of Congress in a program that was recorded by National Public Radio, and was a visiting artist at Harvard University where he received a Certificate of Recognition from the President of Harvard College for his contribution to the arts. In the 2003-2004 season, he was a featured concert artist with the American Composer Orchestra Improvise Festival! where he gave the New York premiere performance of T.J. Anderson's piano concerto Boogie Woogie Concertante with the MSM Jazz Philharmonic at LaGuardia Concert Hall. The concerto was written especially for Mr. Fox and asks for him to improvise all the solo passages and cadenzas in the eight movement work with spontaneous interactive dialogue with the orchestra. In 2003 and 2004, Mr. Fox held artist-in-residence posts at the Tyrone Guthrie Center in Northern Ireland and the Oberfäzer Künstlerhaus in Schwandorf, Germany. Mr. Fox was named Top Ten Jazz Act in 2004 in the company of Herbie Hancock, Sonny Rollins, and Ron Carter by jazz journalist Bill Beuttler of The Boston Globe. In the 2005-2006 season, Mr. Fox premiered his Monk and Bach Project at Jazz at Lincoln Center, his orchestra piece, Hear De Lambs A-Cyrin, commissioned by the Albany Symphony Orchestra for The Spiritual Project, and the world premiere of his composition Peace Out, My Brother at Carnegie Recital Hall.. In 2006-2007 season, he will give the world premiere performance of T.J. Anderson's second Piano Concerto Fragments (A Bach and Monk Fantasy, for Improvised Piano and Orchestra), written expressively for Mr. Fox and the University of Iowa Symphony Orchestra, and The Bach Choir of Bethlehem -- the oldest Bach Choir in United States -- will feature Mr. Fox in his Blues on Bach Project to celebrate their 100th anniversary. For Donal Fox's classical compositions please visit (www.myspace.com/donalfoxcomposer)