Payton MacDonald is a musician, filmmaker, and cyclist. All of his work centers around exploring the boundaries of art and endurance. Whether creating ground-breaking new music, mind-expanding films, pedaling a mountain bike hundreds of miles a day in remote areas, or doing all three at the same time, Payton is one of the most creative forces of his generation.

Numerous ensembles have performed MacDonald’s music around the world, including Alarm Will Sound, Los Angeles Philharmonic, JACK Quartet, New Jersey Percussion Ensemble, C4 choir, So Percussion, To Hit Duo, Young Voices of Colorado, Quintet Mont Royal, Classical Jam, Composers Concordance Ensemble, guitarists Mak Grgic and Eliot Fisk, tabla soloist Shawn Mativetsky, accordionist Bill Schimmel, french hornist John Clark, and frame drummer Glen Velez. He has received grants and awards from ASCAP, Meet the Composer, American Music Center, American Institute of Indian Studies, as well as fellowships from Yaddo and Ragdale. He has also composed music for the Silken Dance Company and for filmmaker Susan Skoog.