Award-winning pianist and composer Dr Sean Foran, is a musician with a clear sense of individual aesthetic, his music is melodic, engaging, and manages to draw stylistic influences together in a vibrant manner.

He is an ARIA award nominee and has received the prestigious Brisbane City Council's Lord Mayors Emerging Artist Fellowship, APRA Professional Development Award (Jazz), the QLD Music Award for Jazz (8 times) and the APRA/AMC State Award for Excellence in Jazz.
A graduate of Queensland Conservatorium he also holds a graduate certificate in Arts Administration from Queensland University of Technology, a Masters of Arts in Jazz Performance with Distinction from the Leeds College of Music UK and a Doctor of Musical Arts from Griffith University.

He writes and performs in a variety of diverse situations and has performed at: The Tokyo, Takasuki & Kutchan Jazz Festivals Japan, MIDEM Music Conference France, Jazzahead Festival Bremen, Calgary International Jazz Festival Canada, World Expos Aichi and Shanghai, The Queensland Music Festival and Biennial, The Sydney Opera House, The Vortex Jazz Club London, Pizza Express Jazz Club London, Wangaratta International Jazz Festival, Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Brisbane Jazz Festival, Woodford Folk Festival, Darling Harbour Jazz Festival, and toured to Europe, the UK, Japan, China, Korea, Argentina and others.

He was the recipient of the prestigious Brisbane City Council Lord Mayor’s Artist Fellowship in 2007, which together with funding from the Ian Potter Cultural Trust enabled him to complete his MA with distinction, studying with artists such as John Taylor, Lars Jansson, Tord Gustavsen, and Matthew Bourne around Britain and Europe.

He has released 8 acclaimed albums with the piano/bass/drums jazz trio TRICHOTOMY and in 2010 he was the musical director/composer of “While Others Sleep”, a collaboration between Misinterprotato and Expressions Dance Company featuring his work. Sean arranged and co-wrote compositions on “Nightlight”, a Sean Foran/Megan Washington release. “Nightlight” won the Bell Award for jazz vocal album of the year in 2009.

In 2013 he released the new album “FACT FINDING MISSION” with TRICHOTOMY. It was nominated for both the AIR and BELL Awards for contemporary jazz album of the year. He also toured to Japan/Korea performing with local musicians and recorded a solo piano album in Japan for release on the Japanese label T-TOC in 2014. Following this he was awarded funding by Arts QLD for a mentorship and development project in Europe with selected artists culminating in a recording project of new music in 2014, an Australia Council for the Art funding compositional project for Trichotomy and chamber group The Southern Cross Soloists, a tour to major Australian jazz festivals featuring the British saxophonist Julian Arguelles & a commission for the Brisbane International Jazz Festival.

In 2015 his new group Berardi/Foran/Karlen debuted a project featuring music composed based upon ANZAC letters and his trio TRICHOTOMY collaborated with the QLD Symphony Orchestra, for which he composed and arranged new music. Berardi/Foran/Karlen were awarded the APRA/AMC State Award for Excellence in Jazz in 2016 for their debut album “Hope in my Pocket”.

He released his latest album “FRAME OF REFERENCE” on the label Jazzhead in 2016 with a tour around the UK to major arts centres and jazz clubs.

Trichotomy released their 5th album KNOWN-UNKNOWN on the Dutch label CHALLENGE RECORDS in early 2017 with a tour to the UK and Europe. Following this he was the musical director for BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, a production by Expressions Dance Company at the QLD Performing Arts Centre featuring the music of Trichotomy and the band live on stage.

In 2019 he released a new album in collaboration with British guitarist Stuart McCallum, and a collaborative album from Trichotomy with Songwriter Danny Widdicombe.

In 2020 he was the composer for the QLD Theatre Company production 'The Holidays' a premiere of a new Australian theatre work by playright David Megarrity.

In 2021 he was recognised for his album HAVEN with Berardi/Foran/Karlen, with an ARIA nomination for JAZZ ALBUM of the year.

After a break between albums, the trio TRICHOTOMY released a new album TO VANISH in March 2023 and toured the UK & Europe including a performance at the Vossa Jazz Festival Norway. The opening track of the album FORWARD MOTION, won the 2023 QLD Music Award for Jazz Work of the Year.

In 2024 he was awarded an Australian Cultural Fund Boost grant for a new album from Trichotomy & Danny Widdicombe, to be released in 2025.

He maintains a busy schedule in Brisbane in his roles as Course Director Audio & Music at SAE University College & co-creator/co-director of the publishing company “Prepared Sounds”,

He is an Associate Artist at the Australian Music Centre.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Doctor of Musical Arts (Composition) – Griffith University

• Master of Arts with Distinction (Jazz Performance) – Leeds College of Music

• Graduate Certificate in Arts Administration - QUT

• Bachelor of Music - Griffith University

• Certificate 4 in Project Management

• Certificate IV TAE