About this Artist

Paul Dooley’s music has been described as "impressive and beautiful" by American composer Steve Reich. Mr. Dooley's path has embraced not only his Western Classical heritage, but also a cross-cultural range of contemporary music, dance, art, technology and the interactions between the human and natural worlds.

Paul Dooley is a Lecturer in Performing Arts Technology at the University of Michigan.   While at the University of Michigan, Dooley has taught courses in electronic music, co-directed the 2009 Midwest Composers Symposium and in 2010 was coordinator of the ONCE. MORE. Festival, a 50 year anniversary of the ONCE Festival of Contemporary Music.

Dooley has studied composition primarily with composers Michael Daugherty, Bright Sheng and Evan Chambers. Dooley also earned a degree in music composition at the University of Southern California where his mentors included Frank Ticheli, Stephen Hartke and Frederick Lesemann.

Dooley’s new work, commissioned by the American Youth Symphony, will be premiered in Disney Hall in March 2015 conducted by Alexander Treger.  Coast of Dreams (2014), inspired by early Los Angeles activist Charles Lummis was recently premiered by the Young Musicians Foundation Debut Orchestra, conducted by Roger Kalia, and by the Amarillo Symphony conducted by Jacomo Rafael Bairos.  Run for the Sun (2013), commissioned by the New York Youth Symphony, was premiered in March 2013 at Carnegie Hall, conducted by Joshua Gersen.  

Dooley’s Point Blank (2011) was premiered by Santa Cruz’s Cabrillo Festival Orchestra and New York City-based new music ensemble Alarm Will Sound, and has received numerous performances throughout the Unites States.  In 2014 - 2015, Mr. Dooley’s other commissions include those from the Charleston Symphony,  American Bandmasters Association, and the Akropolis Reed Quintet.

In 2013 - 2014, Paul Dooley was composer-in-residence with the Amarillo Symphony and in 2011 - 2012, was composer-in-residence with the Detroit Chamber Winds. This featured the premiere of Salt of the Earth (2012) for brass ensemble and percussion, conducted by H. Robert Reynolds. Other performances of Dooley's music include those by the Charlotte Symphony, Omaha Symphony, Aspen Philharmonic Orchestra, Chautauqua Festival Orchestra, American Philharmonic, the Atlantic Classical Orchestra, USC Thornton Symphony, University of Michigan Symphony Band, USC Wind Ensemble, U.S. Army Band, Frost Wind Ensemble, and a reading by the Detroit Symphony, conducted by Leonard Slatkin.