Bryan
Steele is a composer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. Originally from Syracuse NY, Bryan
graduated from Ithaca College in
1991 as a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies. In 1994, Steele took a post as guest lecturer in jazz
studies at the University of Natal in Durban, South Africa. The position
afforded him the chance to collaborate with some of the country’s best
composers and musicians, and would be the beginning of Steele’s continuing love
of African music. Steele performed regularly with his own South African
group, including an appearance at the Johannesburg Guinness Jazz Festival.
In
1997, Steele recorded his first CD (Bryan
Steele Group) on the NYC label
LookWild Jazz and has since recorded several others. Bryan made his Merkin Hall debut in 1998 with his
composition, Our Ancestors
Are Silent, which was part of a
multimedia performance.
As
a composer since the age of 13, Steele has a large body of work in many
styles. Bryan's production
company, BrunoSteele Music, has placed dozens of tracks in television shows
such as; The Amazing Race, American Idol Rewind, Dr. 90210, A&E Biography
and All My Children. He has also
written the music for 12 short films, including Kimberly Harwood's True
Confessions of a Sushi Addict, which was the winner of 1999 Student Academy
Award.
Songwriting
is also one of Bryan's passions.
His songs have been recorded by both U.S. and international
artists. Steele won the 2006 Great
American Song Contest for his song “Through Hell & High Water” co-written
with Irish star, Darren Holden.