Harold O’Neal Headshot
Report a problem with this profile
[email protected]

Harold O’Neal        

World Renowned Pianist, Composer, Recording Artist, Martial Artist, and Professional Dancer.

Harold O’Neal is a world renowned and prolific Pianist, Composer, Artist, Storyteller. The New York Times has compared his piano playing to Duke Ellington and Maurice Ravel. During O’Neal’s career, he has recorded his own critically acclaimed solo albums. O’Neal has collaborated with many jazz legends as well as contemporary artists such as U2, Bob Geldof, Lupe Fiasco, Jay-Z and more. He even portrayed a piano playing hepcat in HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire." In 2020, O’Neal collaborated with Pixar as a creative expert for the storytelling for their film Soul which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film, at the 2021 Oscars. O’Neal was the featured musician at the awarding of the Benjamin Franklin Medal to Herbie Hancock, and O’Neal himself was awarded a prestigious fellowship at the Royal Society of the Arts, alongside fellows Stephen Hawking, David Attenborough, Marie Curie, and Charles Dickens.

O’Neal has a unique perspective of the world and is passionate about making change through the insights of the creative process. He is world-renowned for developing his signature style of solo piano, being a fusion of early 20th century composers and modern music, and has the distinct talent to find the level of sameness through multiple disciplines. He is a storytelling aficionado who expertly navigates and inspires us through the chaos of jazz and life. Aside from a lauded musical career, he holds a black belt in the martial arts, is an accomplished dancer, and has a unique ability to unlock creativity in whatever he pursues.

Speech Topics


The Path To Mastery

The path to mastery is a lone journey spanning decades of committed effort and work. What is the path like? What are the insights that reveal themselves along the way? What is it like to actually devote thousands upon thousands of hours into one highly developed skill? What happens when you apply this to multiple disciplines? How can these insights affect of our lives and the people around us?

With over 30 years of experience, Harold shares his gifts and insights of becoming a master concert pianist. With him, you will discover the key to unlock the path to mastery within yourself.

Take Aways:

  • A glimpse into the insights of mastery.
  • A connection to the internal process of self awareness through discipline.
  • Have an understanding of the meaning of “practice makes perfect”, and how to apply it.

Connecting Through Creativity And Improvisation

How many people have ever wanted to create something unique, but have not taken the leap? We all know that improvisation is a natural order to our existence, but how deep does that really go? Is it something that we can learn to do? Is it something that people are just born with, or both?

Working with Harold, you will find the answers to these questions and more, through his creative process and the revelations of what you already possess inside. With his methods and techniques, he will reveal the great improviser within you.

Take Aways:

  • Have an understanding of tools to unlock your creativity.
  • Experience first-hand the behind-the-scenes process of one of this generation’s greatest composers.
  • Have a new picture of the future of your creative voice.

Related Speakers View all


More like Harold