Donal Fox: Improvising Pianist with Orchestra

"A composer, pianist and improviser who deftly draws from jazz and classical contemporary traditions."
— The New York Times

“His playing on the classics is superb, and on the pianissimo of the Dowland his fingers touch the keys with the delicacy of a butterfly alighting on a flower.”
— The Boston Examiner

"Fox is a brilliant technician and an exquisite magician at the keyboard."
— Mittelbayrische Zeitung (Germany)

Internationally acclaimed as a composer, pianist, and improviser, Donal Fox expertly fuses jazz and classical idioms into intricate, electrifying performances. He has premiered works at such prestigious venues as Tanglewood, Carnegie hall and Jazz at Lincoln Center, and has served as the first African-American composer-in-residence with the St. Louis Symphony. Among his many accolades, Fox is a former Guggenheim fellow, and a recent recipient of the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Letters Academy Award in Music. Fox's Peace Out for Improvised Piano and Orchestra premiered with the American Composers Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in 2009. His Hear De Lambs A Cryin, commissioned by the Albany Symphony Orchestra, saw it's New York Premiere as part of Spring for Music at Carnegie Hall in 2011.

Interview: Donal Fox talks about Hear De Lambs A Cryin on WQXR

Donal Fox’s Peace Out for Improvised Piano and Orchestra

Premiere: American Composers Orchestra; Donal Fox, piano; Stefan Lano, Conductor; Carnegie Hall, Zankel Hall New York, NY November 30, 2009

With Peace Out, Donal Fox draws equally on the tradition of improvisation in jazz as well as classical greats like Mozart who would improvise large sections of his Piano Concertos. The work inspired a standing ovation from the Carnegie Hall audience at its premiere, as well as a glowing review from Anthony Tommasini for The New York Times, calling the concerto "an arresting piece," "exceptionally interesting".

Writes Tommasini: "The blazingly scored orchestra part is fully composed. But the piano part, though well plotted, includes swaths of improvised, interactive music ... The piece opens with a fitful section, all gnashing brass, spiraling strings and searing harmonic angst. Mr. Fox's piano playing, bursting with violent, keyboard-spanning runs, drove the music. A searching middle section quotes fragments of a Charlie Parker blues tune, 'Now's the Time.' After a steely solo piano cadenza, the piece concludes with a pensive finale based on a descending, and strangely haunting, four-note refrain."

Press Reviews

New York Times - Review of Peace Out World Premiere The Big City - Review of Peace Out World Premiere

Praise for Peace Out:

"Peace Out, a brilliant, stunning, original complete success! Your playing is miraculous not just in wild virtuosity but equally so in sensitivity. The orchestral construct is masterful and your instinct for narrative pacing altogether convincing. Wow!"
– Yehudi Wyner

"Thanks for sending me your beautiful piece. Well deserved review and ovation: it is truly an amazing piece, with a great arch. Love how you earn the ending and how gorgeous it is in itself."
– Osvaldo Golijov

I listened with much interest to Peace Out. I especially liked the “Stockhausen” fragments, and of course the improvised piano part. I think it's the only piece in the world with a not written out solo part!”
– Louis Andriessen

“I finally listened! WOW! Lovely... I love the shape... wonderful orchestration, textures... ideas... the way it tails off to the end... very very moving. Congratulations!"
– Maria Schneider, award winning jazz composer

"You are, yet again, the most amazing improviser around"
– John Harbison

T.J. Anderson’s Fragments for Improvised Piano and Orchestra (A J.S. Bach/T.S. Monk Fantasy)

Premiere: Donal Fox, Piano soloist with the University of Iowa Symphony orchestra; William LaRue Jones, conductor; Hancher Auditorium, Iowa City, University of Iowa, October, 2006

T.J. Anderson writes: “The concept of combining Bach and Monk was introduced to me by my former student, Donal Fox. I recognized in these two composers an interval in common; the augmented 4th: For Bach, the relationship was contrapuntal and for Monk homophonic. [...] Through free cadenzas, modal and chordal improvisation, the work has references to both Bach and Monk. The piano soloist through improvisation makes this a joint undertaking. There are no written notes for the pianist. [...] My constant formula for Fragments has been J.S. Bach + T.S. Monk = T.J. Anderson.”

Biographies

Donal Fox - Short Bio Donal Fox - Long Bio

Reviews & Previews

Selected Press Quotes New York Times - Review of Peace Out World Premiere The Big City - Review of Peace Out World Premiere Boston Examiner - Performance Review Fuse News - Performance Review Giant Steps - Performance Review Boston Jazz Blog - Performance Review Courant - Tanglewood Jazz Festival Preview Boston Globe - Review Down Beat - CD Review New Music Box - Performance Review Jazz Improv Magazine - Performance Review

Photos