BIO

Doug Hirlinger is a drummer, vibraphonist, and composer originally from St. Louis. A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, he has performed across the U.S. and Europe, including at iconic venues like the Blue Note and Birdland. Throughout his career, he has shared the stage with world-renowned artists such as Luis Perdomo, Joel Frahm, Rudresh Mahanthappa, and The Philadelphia Orchestra. Upon moving to Philadelphia the first of two times in 2001, Doug spent much of his time at the famed and beloved Ortlieb’s Jazzhaus where he worked with pianist Sid Simmons and others. A trio he co-led with Matt Michell and Tarus Mateen was a crowd favorite there as was Neil Podgurski’s New Fire, of which he was a member.

In 2018, three years after returning to Philadelphia for a second time, Doug completed an artist residency at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts resulting in a 10-piece suite titled, Dear Philadelphia, exploring gentrification, inequality, and musical legacy in Philadelphia with collaborators Ursula Rucker, M’Balia Singley, Tim Motzer, and John Swana. In the summer of 2022 Doug was commissioned by Philadelphia Jazz Project, along with his wife and vocalist, Keisha Hutchins Hirlinger, to compose “Water Speaks” originally part of the exhibit “POOL: A Social History of Segregation” at Philadelphia Water Works. The group features Doug on vibraphone and Madison Rast on bass and continues to book performances.