Biography
Chicago-born Earl Zindars graduated from DePaul University and went on to earn a Masters Degree in Music Composition from Northwestern University. He studied with Dr. Leon Stein and Wallingford Riegger, and earned a Fulbright Scholarship to attend Oxford University, where he studied with Edmund Rubbra. Postgraduate work was at Columbia University with Dr. Otto Leuning. Fellowships include Yaddo, MacDowell Colony, and the Huntington Hartford Foundation. Earl received numerous commissions and awards throughout his career, including the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Institute of Arts and Letters. He was also the recipient of Broadcast Music, Inc.'s "Jazz Pioneer Award", given in recognition of his "long and outstanding contributions to the world of jazz."
His long association with the legendary pianist Bill Evans produced several recordings on Evans's albums. Evans particularly favored "Elsa" and "How My Heart Sings", which evolved into jazz standards over the pianist's long recording career. In recognition of Evans's connection with "How My Heart Sings" and the title's evocative nature, Peter Pettinger used it as the name of his acclaimed 1998 biography of Bill Evans.
Earl's tunes have also been featured on the albums of numerous other artists including Cannonball Adderly, Donald Byrd, Eddie Daniels, Philly Joe Jones, Dino Saluzzi, and Tony Williams, and each year this discography continues to widen via film, television, and an array of international artists on YouTube. Notable recent additions include "How My Heart Sings", a recording brought forward by pianist Bill Cunliffe, and dedicated exclusively to the music of Earl Zindars. Upon release, the album enjoyed several weeks ranked among Jazz Week's top ten. No discography would be complete without mentioning the years long project of Italian pianist Luciano Troja, who has recorded two albums of Earl’s music to date (“At Home with Zindars” and “To New Life”). Drawing on personal visits at home with the Zindars family, Troja's sensitive interpretations reveal a more personal side of Earl's life and music. Both albums were released to critical acclaim, winning awards such as Stereophile’s “Record to Die For”, and Cadence Magazine’s “Best of Year”.
Beyond the jazz realm, Earl's classical compositions have been performed by the International Chamber Orchestra of Rome, San Francisco Symphony Chorus, Chicago Symphony Brass, San Francisco Symphony Brass, San Jose Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Chamber Players, the Bennington Chamber Music Conference, and numerous brass ensembles throughout the world.
Teaching Background:
San Francisco State University (Composition, Theory, Percussion & Jazz)
Professional Percussion Credits:
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
NBC Chicago Orchestra
Radio City Music Hall Orchestra
San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
The First Percussion Sextet
The Soul of Jazz Percussion
Ernie Heckscher Orchestra
Oakland Symphony Orchestra
Marin Symphony Orchestra
San Francisco Golden Gate Park Band
You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown