Solomon was first exposed to the world of classical music when he began formal piano lessons with the late Marie J. Clark at nine years old. Extracting from these lessons, and under the musical direction of his mother, Solomon began to serve as the lead pianist of St. John Church of God in Christ in Denver, Colorado. Through countless liturgical and academic performances, he became a gospel accompanist and collaborator in various music ministry projects across his hometowns of Aurora and Denver. He soon graduated from Overland High School in 2011, gaining honors such as the George Eastman Young Leaders Award and the John Philip Sousa Band Award.
Solomon was awarded both academic and music talent scholarships to begin his collegiate studies. In the spring of 2016, he graduated magna cum laude from Metropolitan State University of Denver with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Composition. He remained at Metro, instructing and collaborating as an affiliate faculty member of the music department until 2019.
Despite his fondness for instruction, directing, and performance, Solomon’s love for music composition remains most zealous. He has most recently written for the Parlando School for Musical Arts’ 2021 and 2022 Commissioned Composer Project. His work has also been featured in local ensembles such as Rhythm of Life Community Chorus, MSU Denver Wind Ensemble, and the ColomboAmerican Medellín’s Jazz Camp and Festival in Columbia, South America.
As a 2019 recipient of Boulder County Art Alliance’s Pathways to Jazz Grant, Solomon is set to release his debut jazz album this fall, exclusively comprised of original compositions.
Photographer: Dayton O'Donnell