Bio
Described as “energetic and good humored” (The Big City), “fun and uplifting” (Betsy’s View), and as having “energy to spare” (Miss Music Nerd), the music of Ezra Donner (b. 1986) has been performed throughout the United States, Europe, and Mexico by established professional performers including the Orion Orchestra, the Sombor Quintet, and pianist Marc Peloquin. A native of Buffalo, NY, he is currently pursuing a Master of Music Degree in Composition at Indiana University, where he is a student of Claude Baker, and where he is also serving as an Associate Instructor of Music Theory.
Ezra holds degrees from the University of Michigan School of Music and Interlochen Arts Academy, and his teachers have included P.Q. Phan, William Bolcom, Bright Sheng, Betsy Jolas, Michael Colgrass, Tania Leon, and David Lang. His works have received recognition from the 2010 Midwest Graduate Music Consortium and the Tobenski-Algera Concert Series. Awards and distinctions for composition include the Arthur and Mary Platsis Award for Creative Works Inspired by the Greek Legacy (2008), and the Dr. Martin & Edith L. Horowitz Scholarship Award to an Outstanding Student in Music (2006).
As a pianist, Ezra was selected as a Finalist in the University of Michigan Concerto Competition (2007), and was a Semi-Finalist (Second Round) in the Oberlin International Piano Competition (2004). He has also served as a Rehearsal Pianist for opera and musical theatre with JCA Management, Brooklyn Repertory Opera, University of Michigan Gilbert and Sullivan Society, and Interlochen Arts Camp.
Ezra is a founding member of Existential Pilot, a new music group dedicated to the performance and promotion of music by young and emerging composers. The group has given performances in New York City, Philadelphia, Ann Arbor, Buffalo, and Boston, and has been featured in The Big City (New York) and the Ann Arbor News. The group’s live album, released in 2010, is available on iTunes and at CDBaby.com.
