Career
He has worked with Bono, Jerry Wonda, Busta Rhymes, Lil' Ronnie, Ne-yo, Damon Dash, Ski Beatz, Damien Rice, Lupe Fiasco, and many of the industry's finest artists. The last protégé of Andrew Hill, O'Neal began working with musical luminaries from a young age — touring the world with Bobby Watson when he was 19 after studying composition at the Berklee College Of Music and leaving the Manhattan School of Music to replace pianist Jason Moran in the influential band, The Greg Osby 4, recording for Blue Note Records. As a composer, Harold is known for blending the genres of 20th-century impressionist music with modern music.
His solo album, "Marvelous Fantasy", is influenced by the works of Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy. His work has been featured in the New York Times, NPR, and PRI.
In addition to composing, O'Neal is equally active as a producer in the worlds of Pop, Hip-Hop, and R&B. In 2010, Harold began working with hip hop legend Damon Dash. This led to a long term collaboration with the iconic hip hop producer Ski Beatz, touring extensively with hip-hop artists, and producing tracks for Mac Miller, Cam'Ron, Murs, and Sir Michael Rocks.
In 2012, Harold began a collaboration with super-producers Lil' Ronnie (R Kelly, Britney Spears, T-Pain) and Jerry Duplessis, a.k.a. Jerry Wonda (The Fugees, Wyclef Jean, Shakira, Justin Bieber, Madonna, Whitney Houston). Harold is considered by many to be a polymath.
He is able to solve a Rubik's Cube in 30 seconds, is a black belt in Kenpo karate, a Shiatsu practitioner, voice over artist, and a magician. Harold is part of a lineage of great composers, being once removed from Paul Hindemith and twice removed from Franz Liszt. Harold's grandmother Florene O'Neal walked to school with Charlie Parker in Kansas City.