A native of Canada, having been born and raised in Regina, Saskatchewan, composer Donald Bohlen has lived most of his adult life in the United States.  Establishing himself early as a pianist in Canada, Bohlen was subsequently awarded the Coronation Music Prize celebrating the ascent to the throne of Queen Elizabeth II.  This award enabled him to be presented as both solo recitalist and concerto performer.

His education in the United States, studying both composition and piano, included the completion of degree programs from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, and Princeton University.  He was subsequently awarded the Doctor of Musical Arts in Composition from the University of Michigan.  During his studies at the University of Michigan he was recognized as being in the forefront of pianists involved in the premiere presentation of new music for solo piano.

Continuously productive as a composer, Bohlen has written for a wide variety of musical media, including chamber music, choral and solo vocal works, solo piano, opera, and music for film.

As Chair of Music Composition and Professor at the School of Music, State University of New York at Fredonia, he established a nationally recognized program for educating composers.  As a vehicle for his teaching of composition, Bohlen founded the student-administrated ETHOS New Music Society and for thirty years acted as guiding force and faculty advisor in its presentation of new music on the SUNY Fredonia campus.  Festivals, master classes, and visits by internationally recognized composers, scholars, and performers enriched the ETHOS concerts of regularly presented music by both the apprentice composers who were members of the group and Fredonia School of Music faculty.

While constantly active as a composer, Bohlen is also deeply involved in researching recent investigations into cognitive neuroscience as it relates to creativity and associated pedagogy.