Cody Alexander Paul – Composer
Bio
Cody Alexander Paul was born in Rochester, New York. He began playing the guitar at age 12 and started composing at age 16, completing his first major work, a three-movement string ensemble piece in early 2010. After graduating high school with multiple music scholarships, he continued his music education at Nazareth College of Rochester, studying guitar under Petar Kodzas and composition under Jennifer Bellor and Nancy Pettersen-Strelau. While at Nazareth College, he focused primarily on playing solo pieces and writing for solo instruments and chamber ensembles. He wrote several pieces for solo instruments including Nocturne in Db: December, Sally’s Lament, Project No. 3 for solo piano, and Twelve Tones for solo cello. He also wrote for chamber groups and large ensembles, creating such works as Memories, Lux Aeterna and Kyrie for choir, Fanfare for brass and percussion, and Daybreak for guitar and chamber orchestra. As well as studying guitar and composition, he also participated in the Men’s Choir and the Chamber Choir at Nazareth College, singing a wide range of pieces from the early Baroque to the 21st Century, including performing Mendelssohn’s Elijah during his final semester.
As a composer, he has collaborated with multiple artists and groups, including Fermata Thin Air, the Holland-Weissman Duo, the Nazareth College Dance Ensemble, the Nazareth College Wind Ensemble, and the Nazareth College Orchestra. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music, he attended the Setnor School of Music at Syracuse University, earning his Master of Music degree in Music Composition, having studied under Andrew Waggoner, Stephen Ferre, and Nicolas Scherzinger. He served as a Teaching Assistant for the freshman and sophomore music theory classes at Setnor, and completed the Future Professoriate Program, earning a Certificate in University Teaching. Since attending the Setnor School, he has collaborated heavily with the vocal department and the Society for New Music.
He graduated with a D.M.A. in Music Composition from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, having studied with Reynold Tharp, Erik Lund, and Rick Taube. He served as a graduate teaching assistant in music theory and musicianship and was featured on the “List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent” every semester. He was recently a featured artist on the Sororities Podcast, for his recently premiered piano and chamber orchestra piece, Δ. He has fulfilled commissions from the Illinois Modern Ensemble, the Fischer Elementary School Choir in Arlington, VT, the UIUC Dance Department, and several other private commissions. He served as an instructor for the Illinois Summer Youth Music program and was twice a preliminary judge for the Salvatore Martirano Memorial Composition Award.
His works have been premiered all across the northwestern and midwest United States.
He is currently an assistant professor of music and program coordinator of the music department at Kaskaskia College, teaching music theory, aural skills, class piano, and class guitar, as well as conducting the concert choir and instrumental ensemble.
He currently resides in southern Illinois with his wife, Emily, and their three cats, BMO, Oliver, and Triss.