Donald Neale

Donald Neale was born in Chattanooga,Tennessee in 1960.  He began his study of the piano at the age of six and later attended the prestigious McCallie School (1972-1978) graduating third in his class and winning numerous academic and music awards. He studied classical guitar at the Cadek Conservatory of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga under the direction of Cuban master Mario Abril and in 1978 moved to Chicago to attend Northwestern University. Although a math and physics major there, he somehow found time to study guitar under David Buch, composition with William Karlins, and jazz piano with renowned jazz educator Alan Swain.
       
Since that time he has become a much in-demand pianist, performing with a number of local blues, jazz,  Latin and society bands, including blues legends Joe Kelly, Lynne Jordan, Cyrus “Harmonica” Hayes, Mexican superstar Nelson Ned, the Ken Gueno Septet, Central Standard Time, the Frontline Latin Jazz Ensemble, Suenos, La Confidencia, Orquesta Libertad, Northstar, Andrew Lane, Nightshift Orchestra, Dennis Keith Band and many, many others. He has also been heavily involved with gospel music, and served for many years as the music director of the Wellspring Christian Center and later for Living Waters International Ministries.
       
Donald is on the faculty of Columbia College where he teaches piano.  He also serves as music and choir director for the Third Unitarian Church of Chicago and was nominated for Song of the Year by the Black Theatre Alliance for his original gospel song “Weep No More” .  He has performed with Dennis DeYoung (of Styx fame), the Black Music Repertory Ensemble, Ars Musica, Lakeshore Symphony Orchestra, the Harper Community College Orchestra as well as the Springfield Ballet and Smokie Robinson in addition to his duties as pianist with the Latin jazz group Conjunto and pianist, composer, and music director for the Cerqua/Rivera Dance Theater.  He has released two compact discs of solo piano music, For the Piano (1993) with compositions by Beethoven, Debussy and himself, and Pieces of Night (1998) featuring the music of the legendary Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona, and more recently two discs of  original chamber music with his world chamber music group Lingua Musica entitled The Latin American Suites  (2001) and One World, One Language  (2003).