Paul Dooley is one of the most prolific and performed composers of his generation in America today. His 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. His music has been described as “impressive and beautiful” by American composer Steve Reich.
Dooley’s orchestral music has been commissioned and performed by, among many others, the Nashville Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Singapore Symphony, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Macau Orchestra, Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, Pacific Symphony, Charlotte Symphony, Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, United Nations Chamber Music Society, Omaha Symphony, Charleston Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven Academy Orchestra, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Nu Deco Ensemble and Alarm Will Sound, in addition to wind ensembles such as “The President’s Own” Marine Band, the Army Band “Pershing’s Own” and the Navy Band.
Recent works include Circuits and Skins, an EDM-inspired electronic percussion concerto for Lisa Pegher and the Lansing Symphony, Mondrian’s Studio, for horn and wind ensemble, for Adam Unsworth and the University of Michigan Symphony Band, Elytra for the United States Navy Band and The Conductor’s Spellbook, an educational and interactive work for young audiences, which has received more than 200 performances since its 2016 premiere with the Naples Philharmonic.
Born in Santa Rosa, California in 1983, Dooley began his musical life listening to Beethoven, Bruce Hornsby, Nirvana and Rush. At the age of thirteen, Dooley began a long mentorship with singer, songwriter, improvisor and gifted counselor Gary “Doc” Collins. In high school Dooley also studied composition with Charles Sepos, before earning bachelor's degrees in mathematics and music composition at the University of Southern California (2002–2007) with Frank Ticheli and Stephen Hartke, and a master's and doctorate degree at the University of Michigan (2007–2013) with Michael Daugherty, Bright Sheng and Evan Chambers. A key moment occurred for Dooley in 2010, with Dooley's participation in the inagural Mizzou International Composers Festival, which commissioned Dooley’s breakout work Point Blank.
In 2013 Dooley joined the music faculty at the University of Michigan where he created and directs the Performing Arts Technology department’s annual Computer Music Showcase. Dooley also co-directed the Midwest Composers Symposium, was coordinator of the ONCE. MORE. festival, a celebration of the fifty-year anniversary of the ONCE Festival of Contemporary Music, received a grant from the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching, and was co-awarded a grant from the Gilbert Whitaker Fund for the Improvement of Teaching.
Dooley’s music is the subject of multiple dissertations including: “Paul Dooley’s Masks and Machines: A Formal Analysis and Instructional Guide” by Dr. Kevin M. Callihan; “Manifestos for Wind Ensemble by Paul Dooley: A Critical Analysis” by Dr. Eddie W. Airheart; “A Conductor’s Guide and Analysis of Selected Works by Paul Dooley” by Dr. Jason Gardner; “Factors Influencing the Success of Modern Wind Band Transcriptions” by Dr. Edward Protzman and “Meditation at Lagunitas by Paul Dooley: A Critical Analysis and Rehearsal Guide” by Dr. Blake Garcia.
Dooley is a frequent guest of professional orchestras, university wind ensembles and festivals in the United States and around the world. His works have been performed in significant venues including Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Royce Hall, Hill Auditorium, the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Schermerhorn Symphony Center, Orchestra Hall in Detroit, Sala Filharmonia Warszawa, Singapore’s Victoria Concert Hall and Chicago’s Symphony Center, and featured on several episodes of NPR’s “Performance Today” with Fred Child.
Dr. Dooley has received a wide range of awards for his work, including the 2016 Sousa/ABA/Ostwald Award, the 2015 William D. Revelli Prize, the 2013 Jacob Druckman Award for orchestral composition from the Aspen Music Festival and young composer awards from Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) for Dani’s Dance (2007) and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) for Gradus (2009).
Dooley’s recordings can be heard on, among others, BMOP Sound, Naxos, Equilibrium, Soundset, Mark Records, GIA Wind Works and Block M Records.
Dooley’s music is published by Paul Dooley Music. Visit www.pauldooley.net and www.conductorsspellbook.com for more information on his music.