Paul Coleman

Paul Coleman is an active composer, teacher, and engineer residing in Rochester, New York. His music has been performed in the United States, England, Belgium, the Netherlands, Canada, and Brazil, and ranges from solo works with computer-generated sounds to works for large orchestra. Paul was recently honored with a commission by the Eastman School of Music's Musica Nova ensemble for a new work for Grammy-nominated soprano Tony Arnold. The premiere of the work, Into Winters' Grey, was on February 18, 2009 at the Eastman School of Music under the direction of Brad Lubman. Paul is currently on faculty at Fredonia State University, where he teaches composition, theory, and computer music. In addition to these teaching responsibilities, Paul is the Sound Director and Engineer for the new music ensemble, Signal, where he works closely alongside conductor Brad Lubman with composers such as Steve Reich, Helmut Lachenmann, and Michael Gordon. Paul has received critical acclaim for his work as a sound designer and engineer, most recently by the New York Times for a Signal performance of Steve Reich's Pulitzer-Prize winning composition, Double Sextet, at New York City's (le) poisson rouge. During the summer of 2009, Paul was on faculty at the Bang on a Can Summer Institute, serving as Head Sound Engineer, where he also taught composers electronic and computer music techniques. Recent platforms for the performance of his works have included the 2009 New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival, a full concert of his works at John Zorn's New York City venue, The Stone, in November 2008, the University of New Mexico's John Donald Robb Composers' Symposium, and the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MassMoCA), housing a sound installation during the 2009 Bang on a Can Summer Institute. Paul has been commissioned by numerous individuals and ensembles, including Eastman's Musica Nova, Ossia New Music, pianist Bobby Mitchell, Eastman's Professor Emeritus of Viola John Graham, pianist Zuzanna Szewczyk, cellist Lauren Radnofsky, bassist Scott Worthington, Quodlibet, and Quartsemble. Paul is currently writing a new work for Out of Context, and in April 2010, will take part in a tour featuring Out of Context and the Proper Glue Duo, with music by Paul and fellow composer David Plylar. Paul is completing a Ph.D. in Composition at the Eastman School of Music, where he has received a Ralph Jackno scholarship and two Belle Gitelman awards in composition. He has served as Acting Administrative Director of the Eastman Computer Music Center and was on the board of directors of the Ossia New Music Ensemble. During the spring of 2010, Paul will again serve on faculty at Eastman as Acting Director of the Eastman Computer Music Center.