David Donnelly is an American filmmaker, writer, and artist. He has written, directed, and produced music videos, video installation art, short films, and feature-length documentaries. His work has been featured in Forbes, Playbill, and NPR. He has directed 3 feature-length films and worked on 4 as head producer. He is also the co-founder of CultureNet, an interactive subscription service.
David Donnelly | |
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| Born | Kentucky, U.S. |
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| Years active | 2003–present |
Early career
Donnelly graduated from the International Baccalaureate program and continued his education at Washington University in St. Louis.[1]
In his mid-twenties, Donnelly began directing commercials and educational films, selling his first short film series, Think About It, in 2008.[2] In 2010, the Miami-based Consequences Foundation commissioned Donnelly to write and direct a short film about South Florida's juvenile crime epidemic. The film, which features a message from the rapper Ludacris and convicted felons, was screened to Miami area juveniles after their arrest, in hopes of inspiring them to stay out of jail.[3][better source needed]
In late 2015, Donnelly released his first feature-length documentary Maestro. The crew followed several Grammy award-winning musicians across the globe. Maestro has been translated into ten languages and aired on international networks. It is utilized as a resource for music educators.[4][5][6] Donnelly is also the author of a Huffington Post essay "Why Failing Orchestras are the Problem of Every American".[7]
Donnelly directed the first music video "High Done No Why To"[8] for ensemble Roomful of Teeth.[9] His music video "Vitali Variations",[10] featuring violinist Tatiana Berman, was aired in twenty-six countries.[11] Donnelly is the creator of the concert series Not So Classical,[12][13][14][15] which is a hybrid film/concert experience and has starred saxophonist Amy Dickson and The Masked Singer judge Ken Jeong.[12]
Donnelly's conceptual art has been featured at the Constella Festival of Music and Fine Art[16] and has been acquired by collectors.[17] Donnelly has been a guest speaker at the Curtis Institute of Music and Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music.[18] He is also a visual artist.[19]
Donnelly is also a co-founder of CultureNet, an interactive subscription service for music-lovers and educators. CultureNet has been featured on CBS News,[20] Thrive Global, Billboard,[21] Digital Trends, and the Penn Law Journal.[22]
Film projects
Donnelly is the executive producer of the documentary Gabe (2017). Gabe tells the story of a young man battling muscular dystrophy[23] which premiered at the Whitney Museum in 2016. He is the director of Forte and Nordic Pulse starring Kristjan Järvi & Paavo Järvi, feature-length documentaries focusing on classical music and scheduled for international release throughout 2020.[24]