With being compared to Duke Ellington and Maurice Ravel by The New York Times, Harold O'Neal FRSA, (producer, composer, and storyteller) has marked his place amongst this generation's greatest pianists and composers. He has worked and collaborated with artists in a variety of genres (U2, Bob Geldof, Damien Rice, Aloe Blacc, Ne-Yo, Angelique Kidjo, Jay Z) and has been profiled by numerous publications and programs including Forbes, NPR's All Things Considered, Fortune, Studio 360, and the 92Y. O'Neal has been awarded fellowship to the Royal Society of the Arts, with the Patron being Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and recently played a role as a creative expert with the filmmakers of Pixar's Soul.
"A piece of work that seems to be out there on its own. I have an idea where the music comes from, but I’m not hearing it anywhere else."
BEN RATLIFF, The New York Times
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Harold has shared his voice as a speaker, social entrepreneur, and storyteller with the world's leading platforms including TWIN Global, TEDx, SAP, Google Cubed,
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, C2 Montreal, Hatch Experience, PowerShift, and has been profiled by Fortune, Forbes, The New York Times, and the 92nd St Y: 7 Days Of Genius series. Harold’s unique voice in storytelling is a musical statement to the world. A story born from many profound life experiences.
"His solo piano recordings merit a special identity. They’ve got the quiver and shading of great Romantic piano, with Duke Ellington’s panoramic blues folded in."
GIOVANNI RUSSONELLO, The New York Times
HAROLD O'NEAL:
"MARVELOUS FANTASY"
I’d like to share a bit of magic. As 2020— a challenging and opportunity-charged year— wound down, I was blessed by a Zoom trialogue with Pixar co-founder and former President of Disney Animation Studios Ed Catmull. We explored storytelling, virtual reality, personal responsibility— and how the universe intervenes. ROB WOLCOTT
Harold O’Neal has the charmed life of a lauded musician, composer, actor and busy speaker focusing on the creative process. He’s performed with U2, Jay Z, and appeared as a piano playing hepcat on HBO’s Boardwalk Empire.
But he tells a story of the night he nearly died, as a reminder to himself and others that the past only has the power to define you if you let it. ELLEN MCGIRT
PRESS
Harold O'Neal's Whirling Mantis is named for a defensive move in karate. The martial-arts reference suggests one way to look at how O'Neal's music operates: The players react to each other's moves, deflecting one another in stylized interaction. KEVIN WHITEHEAD