Don DiNicola
Core Faculty, MFA in Music Composition
Profile
Don’s music career began in the 1980s. He worked extensively in regional theater, notably The American Repertory Theater (Cambridge, MA) and Anne Bogart’s SITI Company based in NYC and Toga Japan. In 1992 his critically acclaimed opera, “Ubu Roi” earned him further commissions.
From there, film and television composition flowed naturally. Once in the multi-media genre, Don spread out to directing, producing, sound design and music supervision.
His film and television credits include Emmy Award-winning shows “Suicide Bombers/Cult Of Death” (Discovery Channel), “The Art Of Failure; Chuck Connelly Not For Sale” (HBO) and “Baring It All” (Style Network). Don also worked on “Miami Ink”, “How it’s Made” and John Scagliotti’s documentaries, “Before Homosexuals” and “After Stonewall”. Don has written and produced music for NatGeo, The History Channel, PBS, A&E, TLC, Discovery Channel, CNBC, Style Network, Sundance TV, and HBO networks.
In 2015 Don directed and produced an original score by Renee Baker (VCFA alumna), recorded by the Chicago Modern Orchestra Project for the 1925 Oscar Micheaux film “Body and Soul”. The film received a grant from New Music USA to screen with a live orchestra soundtrack and was performed at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, Ebertfest and the Chatham 14-multiplex on the South side of Chicago.
In 2011 Don formed Eureka Post Production, supervising video and audio post-production for broadcast TV, including more than 1500 episodes of the hit show, “House Hunters International”.
Don is writing a new opera, directing a musical animated feature and recently contributed original music to Paul Chihara’s latest feature film project, “Jasmine,” as part of their ongoing collaboration.
He is a founding faculty member of the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA in Music Composition Program.