Earl Zindars (September 25, 1927 – August 15, 2005) was an American composer of jazz and classical music.
Chicago-born Earl Zindars graduated from DePaul University and went on to earn a Masters Degree in Music Composition from Northwestern University. He studied with Dr. Leon Stein and Walingford Riegger, and earned a Fulbright Scholarship to attend Oxford University, where he studied with Edmund Rubbra. Postgraduate work was at Columbia University with Dr. Otto Leuning. Fellowships include Yaddo[1], The MacDowell Colony[2], and the Huntington Hartford Foundation. Earl received numerous commissions and awards throughout his career, including the National Institute of Arts and Letters. He was also the recipient of Broadcast Music, Inc.'s "Jazz Pioneer Award", given in recognition of his "long and outstanding contributions to the world of jazz."
His long association with the legendary Bill Evans produced several recordings on Evans's albums. Evans particularly favored "Elsa" and "How My Heart Sings", which evolved into jazz standards over the pianist's prolific recording career. In recognition of Evans's connection with "How My Heart Sings".