Paul's love affair with the piano began at the age of six after being dazzled at a concert performance by the North Carolina Symphony. He began lessons shortly thereafter and started actively performing and participating in piano competitions. At the age of 16, he won first place in the Memphis Mid-South Piano Scholarship competition, which was judged by the acclaimed Swiss conductor/pianist, Rudolph Ganz. Dr. Ganz awarded Paul an additional scholarship to study with him at the Chicago Musical College, now part of Northwestern University. That same year he auditioned at the Julliard School alongside future classmates John Browning and Van Cliburn. He then spent six years at Julliard studying with the legendary faculty and making numerous public appearances for radio broadcast. He was chosen by the school to make a recording for the Mozart bicentennial celebration, which was aired in Europe. Three years later, he made his orchestral debut with David Van Vactor conducting the Knoxville Symphony performing the Chopin Piano Concerto in E minor.
While classically trained, it is Paul's appreciation for jazz and popular music that has led him to apply his individual approach to harmony to the classics of American music. For the last 20 years he has delighted audiences with his unique arrangements in regular performances at the former Hotel Europa in Chapel Hill and at the elegant Washington-Duke Inn in Durham. It is these performances, and the demand of his many fans, which leads to the release of "Mostly Memories."
Paul has also authored a textbook for music study, which defines his approach to music theory and harmony entitled, Musicon Symbols. It is destined to become an essential resource for serious musicians, arrangers, and composers.
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