In addition to his mastery of the standard classical repertoire, including works by Beethoven, Scarlatti and Schubert, Small played in rock and roll bands during his college years, and he integrates blues, jazz and other modern and postmodern idioms into his compositions.
Small has given concerts in major European capitals, South America, Japan and China, and was hailed for his "dazzlingly prodigious technique" by England's venerable Musical Times in 1976.
Small has recorded an extensive discography, including a George Gershwin disc, a Children's CD with narrator Robert Aubry Davis,[2][3] and Bach’s Goldberg Variations, in addition to many of his own compositions.
He studied biographical information on each of Renoir's friends and acquaintances who were pictured in the boating party in order to create a portfolio of musical portraits, then established continuity among them with a recurring theme representing the flowing of the river.
[A]s pianist Haskell Small showed in an unusual recital Sunday at the Phillips Collection, Mompou's music is worth attention.
"[6] Small has also been praised by other Washington Post reviewers, including Mark Carrington, Sunil Freeman, Joseph McLellan, Tim Page, Cecilia Porter, Joan Reinthaler and Bob Waters, and New York Times writers Bernard Holland, Anna Kisselgoff and Edward Rothstein.
They have two grown daughters, Rachel and Sarah (a photographer, filmmaker and musician, known for singing as part of the New York City-based a cappella Balkan music group Black Sea Hotel).