Earl MacDonald is a socially engaged composer, pianist, and educator whose work blends jazz, classical, and global traditions into carefully constructed musical responses to the most urgent challenges of our time. His recent compositions engage themes of climate change, migration, systemic injustice, political polarization, and the human search for hope—translated into sound worlds that are at once lyrical, probing, and quietly confrontational. For MacDonald, music is not escapism; it is a call to attention, empathy, and civic responsibility.
A two-time JUNO nominee for Jazz Album of the Year and recipient of the Sammy Nestico Award, MacDonald has released seven recordings ranging from chamber ensembles to full jazz orchestra. His dectet album Open Borders marked a significant artistic shift, reframing composition as a form of civic dialogue. The project was recognized with the Connecticut Office of the Arts’ Artistic Excellence Award and signaled a deepening commitment to socially conscious musical storytelling grounded in meticulous craft.
MacDonald’s work has also been shaped by close engagement with the jazz lineage. He served as musical director, pianist, and arranger for the Maynard Ferguson Big Bop Nouveau Band, and his composition Wanton Spirit was recorded by Kenny Barron as the title track of a Grammy-nominated album—an early affirmation of his compositional voice within the tradition.
His interdisciplinary collaborations further reflect an interest in art as social inquiry. Projects such as the animated short By Our Love examine ideological division and moral responsibility, while ongoing partnerships across media explore the intersections of music, narrative, and activism.
As Professor of Music and Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Connecticut, MacDonald teaches with the same intentionality that defines his creative work, emphasizing artistic integrity, global literacy, deep listening, and socially informed musicianship. He remains active as a clinician and adjudicator, bringing a reflective, holistic perspective to diverse educational and artistic settings.
His current project, Songs for a Shifting World, represents a culmination of his evolving artistic identity. Reimagining art song as a living, contemporary form, the work weaves classical lineage, jazz sensibility, and global influence to confront ecological crisis, human displacement, systemic injustice, and fragile resilience—offering listeners a space for contemplation rather than certainty.
Across all of his work, MacDonald composes from a place of conscience, treating music not as refuge, but as responsibility. His music invites audiences not only to listen, but to think, to feel, and to engage more deeply with the world they inhabit.
Downloadable Bios & Photos:
Earl MacDonald’s biographical information and photos are available for download for promotional and print use (concert programs, festival materials, press coverage, etc.).
Bios were last updated on January 9, 2026.
Download: Artist Bio Pack – Adobe PDF and MS-Word formats
Includes:
• Full biography
• 200-word, 100-word, and 50-word versions
Photo options:
Headshot #1, by Brandi Boissonneault (Cross Image Co.) — high-resolution