NEIL LEONARD is one of the most inventive and adventuresome artist in jazz today. Leonard's work has ranged from traditional jazz performance, solo concerts for saxophone and interactive computer system, collaborations with top Cuban musicians, works for electronics/video/orchestra; and media installations.
His ensemble and collaborative projects featured Marshall Allen, David Bryant, Bruce Barth, Don Byron, Uri Caine, Kenwood Dennard, Robin Eubanks, Frank Lacy, Oriente Lopez, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Badal Roy, Jamaaladeen Tacuma. Leonard’s "Dreaming of an Island", (for orchestra, electronics and live-video) was premiered by Kirk Trevor and the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra. Leonard's composition Totems was premiered at Carnegie Hall by Byron and Caine. Leonard's "Echoes and Footsteps" was featured by the Tel Aviv Biennial for New Music, Issue Project Room (NYC) and the Auditorium di Roma.
Leonard's collaborative work with visual artist Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons was featured by the 49th Venice Biennial, Museum of Modern Art (NYC); purchased by the National Gallery of Canada; and presented by the U.S. State Department at Dakar Biennial. Leonard composed the music for Relatives, by Tony Oursler and Constance DeJong featured by the Whitney Biennial. Leonard organized festivals of time-based art in Rome, Venice, La Spezia, Siena, Tel Aviv, Haifa, New York and Boston.
Leonard performed and recorded with Afrocuba, Victor Bailey, Guillermo Barretto, Boston Ballet, Bruce Barth, Hiram Bullock, Don Byron, Tyrone Brown, Uri Caine, Bakida Carrol, Vic Chesnutt, Dominique Eade, Kevin Eubanks, Robin Eubanks Bill Frisell, Gene Jackson, Leroy Jenkins, Vijay Iyer, Howard Johnson, Billy Kilson, Victor Lewis, Orlando ‘Cachaito’ Lopez (Buena Vista Social Club), Rudresh Mahanthappa, Joe Maneri, John Medeski, Butch Morris, Joe Morris, Phill Niblock, Don Patterson, Giuliano Perin, Odean Pope, Todd Rundgren, Dave Samuels, Marvin "Smitty" Smith, Lew Soloff, Steve Swallow, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, David Thomas (Pere Ubu), Mark Whitfield, Phil Wilson, Evan Ziporyn.
Leonard is the Artistic Director of the Interdisciplinary Arts Institute at Berklee College of Music. Leonard is co-founder of GASP Gallery in Boston. Leonard he a bachelor's degree in Jazz Performance and a Masters in of Music degree from new England Conservatory of Music where he studied with George Russell, Bob Brookmeyer and others.
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