Paul Brantley 120 Claremont Avenue, New York NY, 10027
Instruments:Cello, Composition, Conducting

Styles:Classical, Other
Levels:Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Experience:25 years
Rate:$80 / hr

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Personal Statement

As a cellist, composer, and conductor — and as a former student of Leonard Bernstein — I naturally bring an “interdisciplinarian” approach to my teaching. Which is to say that one discipline reinforces and informs the others. This extends to styles of music I’m involved in as well — wide-ranging classical, experimental/improvisatory pop and jazz. I am also a long-time practitioner of Tai-Chi (Yang style) and very much bring that mind/body/spirit practice to my teaching.

Since music is all about communication, I feel very privileged to have taught cello, composition, and conducting to students of all ages and levels — and for the past twenty-five years, in my private studio as well as The Manhattan School of Music, Syracuse University, and Washington and Lee University.

Education / Training

In just the last few years, Paul Brantleys compositions have been performed or commissioned by: Bargemusic; Monadnock Music Festival; Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival; St. Bartholomew’s Summer Festival of Sacred Music; Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas (NYCs Town Hall), Left Bank Ensemble (Kennedy Center), Ethel (Kimmel Center), Excelsior Trombone Ensemble (NPRs Performance Today), The Goliard Ensemble on tour, The Manhattan School of Music Symphony, Belladonna (Schubert Club, St. Paul, MN), LOpera du Village (Pourrieres, France), SONYC (the Kitchen), and as featured composer on the North River, MOSA and Concerts in the Heights series. He is presently composing Esterhzy for both The Flux Quartet and The New Esterhzy Quartet.

Paul currently resides in New York city where he free-lances as a composer and cellist, and teaches conducting at the Manhattan School of Music. His music is published by Bill Holab Music (with 16 titles currently) and Oxford University Press. He has recorded solo cello for Sony/Columbia, Rounder, Warner Bros., Polydor, Compass, and others.

In April 2012 Paul was invited to give a composition seminar at the Yale School of Music.

He has held numerous residencies at The MacDowell Colony and The Banff Centre as well as being composer-in-residence for Monadnock Music Festival, Gabriel Faur Conservatoire (Angoulme, France), Goliard Ensemble, Yara Arts Group, The Seal Bay Festival, Childrens Choral Celebration, Sewanee Music Festival, and Washington and Lee University. Paul has taught composition, cello, chamber music, and conducting at Syracuse University, Washington and Lee University and, presently, The Manhattan School of Music.

Multifaceted musician, Paul Brantley has performed as solo cellist with Trey Anastasio, recorded for Bla Fleck and James Morrison, toured with Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, gigged with Chester Thompson, produced for and co-composed with Royel Futureman Wooten (the Flecktones), conducted for David Binney, and arranged for Ethel, Todd Rundgren, and Christian Scott.

Paul studied at Manhattan School of Music (B.M), Curtis Institute (diploma), Eastman School of Music (M.M.) as well as Fontainebleau, Tanglewood, and The Yellow Barn. His principal teachers include Samuel Adler, Leonard Bernstein, Alan Harris, David Loeb, and David Wells.

Paul Brantley