Donald J. Stewart was born in Seattle in 1970, but grew up on the Salish-Kootenai reservation in Arlee, MT. He attended Gonzaga University, majored in both music composition and broadcast studies, studying composition under J. Kevin Waters, S.J. and later studied at the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music with Allen Sapp, then at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena under Franco Donatoni and at the Gruppo Aperto Musicale Oggi in Florence under Sylvano Bussotti.
Recent performances include the ensemble proton bern, Garth Knox, the Andersson/Jacoberger/de Saram Trio, the Aventa Ensemble, Quasar Saxophone Quartet and Richard Craig. His music has been featured by Bern, Switzerland’s PROGR, Washington State University’s Festival of Contemporary Art Music, Western Washington University’s Sound Culture, Vancouver New Music, the SALT festival (Victoria, BC) and Fylkingen in Stockholm (Sweden). His orchestral work LECTIO DIVINA was selected by ISCM for submission to World New Music Days 2006. Donald holds a fellowship from the Civita Institute in Civita di Bagnoregio (Italy). He is currently working on a multimedia chamber opera titled PERPETUA, made possible by a grant from 4Culture and commissions from Splinter Reeds, the Ensemble SON and the Ensemble Either/Or.