Composer/bassist John Lindberg embarked on his professional career in 1975 at the age of sixteen, after having attended the Creative Music Studio in Woodstock, N.Y., where he had pursued private contrabass studies with Dr. David Izenzon and Dave Holland.
He consequently immersed himself in performing music that covered a wide diversity of genres, in equally diverse venues.
The following year he settled in New York City and co-founded the String Trio of New York, a composers collective performance unit that has gone on to produce eighteen albums of original music and present hundreds of concerts worldwide. The trio celebrates its 32nd anniversary season during the 2009/10 season.
In 1979 he formed his first ensemble dedicated to the performance of his own compositions, and since has recorded over fifty albums that feature his works.
This same year he founded Lindy Publishing Company, which to this day is the exclusive publisher of his works.
His ensembles and duo collaborations have performed hundreds of concerts throughout Europe, North and South America, East Asia and the Middle East.
As a bassist he is featured on over eighty albums, including landmark recordings with Anthony Braxton, Jimmy Lyons, Steve Lacy, Albert Mangelsdorff, Tony Coe, and Wadada Leo Smith, among other luminary figures of creative music.
In 1986 be became President of Sound Directions, Inc., a not-for-profit arts presentation organization, a position he still holds.
Currently he is active as a solo contrabassist, composing for, performing and recording with varied ensemble projects, and with the String Trio of New York.
John stays actively engaged as an educator through the presentation of workshops and lecture/demonstrations on composition, improvisation, and the interconnection of music with the humanities and sciences.
He is often engaged as an artist-in-residence at schools, community centers and universities throughout the world. Most recently he served in this capacity as special faculty at California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, California.
Recently, he has expanded his work in the role of producer. Through his LindyEditions label, he has released productions and co-productions of cutting-edge music, video and film projects.
Commissions of his work include those from:
- Galerie du Soleil (2009) for Points Suspendue for piano and double bass
- Meet The Composer's Commissioning Music/USA Program (2006) for Skip
- Ways for mixed quartet
- Chamber Music America's New Works for Five Rays of Light (2005) for quartet
- Wiener Musik Galerie for Ruminations upon Ives and Gottschalk (2001) For quartet
- Commissioning Music/USA for Nature, Time, Patience (1999) for string trio
- The New York Chamber Ensemble for Groundings (1997) for fourteen instrumentalists
- Bermuda Triangle for The Terrace (1993) for voice, piano, bass trio
- Watson/Lindberg duo through Meet The Composer for Pluckin’ - A Tribute to Pops Foster (1991) for piano, bass duo
- The Pittsburgh New music Ensemble for Encounters (1989) for seventeen instrumentalists
- String Trio of New York through Meet The Composer for Middle Eastern Essay (1988) for string trio
- Arts Council of Orange County for Hudson Valley Ruminations (1987) for eleven instrumentalists
- West Deutsch Radio Koln for The Arrival (1986) for string quintet
Fellowships include those from:
- New York Foundation for the Arts - music composition (1998 and 1990)
- Arts International Collaborative Works - compositions for double basses (1992)
- National Endowment for the Arts - jazz performance (1988)
Recent awards in support of his work have come from:
- Chamber Music of America/French-American Cultural Exchange Grant (2008)
- Aaron Copland Fund for Music Recording Grant (2007 and 1994)
- Meet The Composer Creative Connections Grant (2006)
- Arts Council of Orange County Residency Program Grant (2007)
- Mid-Atlantic Arts Alliance Foreign Festivals Program Grant (2007, 2009)
- Meet The Composer Creative Connections Grant (2006)
- Chamber Music America Residency Program Grant (2005/06)
- ASCAP Special Awards (1984 - 2009)
- Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust Recording Program (2004, 2000, 1996, 1994, 1992)
- Diploma de Honor - Gobernacion de Cordillera, Chile (1995)
- Fund for US Artists at International Festivals (1990-97)
- New York State Council on the Arts General Operating and Touring Support Grants/String Trio of New York (1987-2009)
Recent major performances include those at:
- Palazzo Cittanova, Cremona, Italy
- Tampere Jazz Happening, Finland
- Herbst Theater, San Francisco
- Lincoln Center, New York City
- Mardel Jazz Festival, Buenos Aires
- Opera de Lyon, France
- Theater Kunstlerhaus, Wien
- Maverick Concert Series, Woodstock, NY
- Shea Performing Arts Center, Wayne, NJ
- Vilnius Philharmonie, Lithuania
- Bethel Woods Arts Center, NY
- Festival San Juan Evangelista, Madrid, Spain;
- Panorama Theater, Los Angeles, California
- Roulette, New York City
His most recent recordings as a composer/performer are:
- John Lindberg – Year 50 Album
- BLOB – You Can’t Get There From There…LindyEditions/BFM
- String Trio of New York – The River of Orion – Black Saint Records
- Luther Thomas – John Lindberg, The Spirit of St. Louis, Ayler Records
- JazzHopRevolution – Tha Sound of Truth – Planet Arts/LindyEditions
- John Lindberg - Music For Chamber Ensemble – LindyEditions/BFM
- BLOB – Quantum Fugue - LindyEditions/BFM
- String Trio of New York – Live in Grand Rapids - LindyEditions
- John Lindberg – Karl Berger – Duets 1 (between the lines)
- John Lindberg Quartet - Winter Birds (between the lines)
- String Trio of New York with Oliver Lake - Frozen Ropes (Barking Hoop)
- John Lindberg - Ruminations upon Ives and Gottschalk (between the lines)
- String Trio of New York - Gut Reaction (Omnitone)
- John Lindberg - Two by Five (between the lines)
- John Lindberg Ensemble - A Tree Frog Tonality (between the lines)
- John Lindberg Ensemble - The Catbird Sings (Black Saint)
- John Lindberg Solo Bass - Luminosity (Music and Arts)