About

Michael O’Donnell has been performing and composing his way around the jazz, folk and classical haunts of Sydney and Melbourne for 12 years. As much at home with haunting Celtic-infused melodies as he is with the most playful grooves of the most daring gypsy jazz, O’Donnell’s body of work encompasses orchestral, chamber music, swing band and educational commissions.

Known for his distinctive left handed violin/viola playing, O’Donnell’s string-sympathetic compositions and arrangements have captured the attention and imagination of the Sydney Cello Quartet, Melbourne-based folk trio The Neon Effect and many Australian schools and tertiary ensembles, with commissions for bespoke compositions and arrangements.

In 2015 O’Donnell was appointed Artistic Director for a feature performance of Croatian cabaret Wild Violet. His expansive, sultry scoring for the group won the Best Music Award at the Sydney Fringe Festival in 2015. More recently, his 2022 composition “Get Set” for solo pedal-harp won the Commonwealth Community Music Initiative composition competition and was performed in Birmingham.

Currently, O’Donnell is collaborating with Sydney classical ensemble Olive Trio on a performance of “The National” for oboe, violin and harp, and beginning work on a ten minute original work for cello quartet, commissioned by the Sydney Cello Quartet. Michael is planning on devoting more time to composing in 2023, and is currently accepting commissions.