Neal Kirkwood

Neal Kirkwood is a New York pianist, composer and arranger who leads groups ranging from a trio to the 17-piece Neal Kirkwood Big Band. Born and raised in California, he studied at North Texas State University, settled in San Francisco in 1976 to begin working as a jazz pianist, and moved to New York in 1981, later earning a master's degree in composition from Mannes College of Music. His writing crosses jazz and contemporary classical music, with commissions from the New York State Council on the Arts, the Jazz Composers Alliance and the Belgian ensemble Octurn. As a leader he has recorded eight albums, among them Blue Inventions, Welcome To My Dream, Piano Stories, and the 2024 big band record Night City. He has performed with Bobby Previte, Phillip Johnston and Mike Clark, toured internationally with vocalists including Bobby McFerrin, Abbey Lincoln and Chris Connor, and spent twenty years writing music for Ralph Lee's Mettawee Theater.