Donald Sutherland is Coordinator of the Organ faculty of the Peabody Conservatory of John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, where in 1997, he was given the "Excellence in Teaching Award" by Johns Hopkins Alumni Association.

Mr. Sutherland received his Master of Music degree at Syracuse University where he was a student of Arthur Poister, later becoming his assistant. In 1965, after completing military service, he returned to Syracuse University as a member of the School of Music faculty. In 1988, he was presented with the school's "Distinguished Alumni Award" in recognition of his distinguished achievements in music. During the past several seasons, Mr. Sutherland was one of the workshop leaders at the Washington, DC regional AGO convention, as well as recitalist/adjudicator at the St. Alban’s festival in England. He dedicated new instruments in Virginia, as well as the new Holtkamp organ in the prize-winning restoration of Griswold Hall at Peabody Conservatory, the latter repeated four times in two days in order to accommodate the crowds. Since the new organ was installed, he had performed the Hindemith "Concerto" with the Peabody Chamber Winds, the Kodaly "Missa Brevis" with the Peabody Singers and recorded music written for the Millenium celebration in Times Square.

Mr. Sutherland has appeared frequently under the auspices of the American Guild of Organists in recital and at both national and regional conventions in the roles of recitalist, workshop leader, adjudicator and choral conductor. He has appeared both as conductor and as organ soloist at numerous Kennedy Center Festivals. He has made frequent radio broadcasts for National Public Radio, the BBC in London, BBC World Services, as well as in Austria and Germany. Other engagements have included a televised performance for CBS and orchestral appearances with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center; the Baltimore Symphony at Carnegie Hall; and the City of London Sinfonia, under the direction of Richard Hickox.

In the mid 1990’s, Sutherland was a featured artist for the Convention of the American Liszt Society as well as for a recital on the Concerts Spirituels series at St. Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal. He was also honored by a return recital at Westminster Abbey, where he played an all-Liszt program for Remembrance Sunday, and was organist for the bicentenary service to honor George Peabody, founder of the Peabody Conservatory.