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Stephen Paulus 1949-2014

Oct. 20, 2014

Stephen Paulus 1949-2014

It is with deep sadness that we note the passing of Stephen Paulus, a widely-beloved composer and a tireless advocate for contemporary music and those who write and perform it.

Born in 1949 in Summit, NJ, and raised in Minnesota, Paulus enjoyed a close relationship with the Minnesota music community, including the Minnesota Orchestra and Opera. He was 65.

Norman Ryan, Vice President for Composers and Repertoire at Schott | EAM writes:

Steve was one of our greatest American composers, a devoted friend, and passionate advocate for the music of our time, always willing and eager to go the extra mile for his colleagues. His extraordinary voice resonated in all genres but in particular found its home on the operatic stage and in a remarkable catalog of music for solo voices and chorus. Regardless of the form, however, Steve's music always communicates a distinctive ease, grace, and humor, which were the defining characteristics of the man himself. Steve's premature passing is a profound loss, not only for those who knew and loved him, but for the musical culture at large. 

A prolific writer of distinctive and uniquely American music, Paulus composed over 400 works for orchestra, chamber ensemble, opera and chorus. During his long career, Paulus served as a Composer-in-Residence with the orchestras of Atlanta, Minnesota, Tucson and Annapolis, and his choral works have been performed and recorded by distinguished groups including the New York Concert Singers, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Robert Shaw Festival Singers and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. His works for the dramatic stage remain in demand and are widely favored by the world’s foremost singers, including Thomas Hampson, Deborah Voigt, and Elizabeth Futral. His second opera, The Postman Always Rings Twice, was commissioned by the Opera Theatre of St. Louis and in 1983 became the first American production to be presented at the Edinburgh Festival in. Among the companies who commissioned and produced Paulus’s subsequent operas were the Washington Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Minnesota Opera and Fort Worth Opera.

A tireless advocate for contemporary music and for the works of his colleagues, Paulus co-founded the Minnesota Composers Forum in 1973. Now The American Composers Forum, it has become the largest composer service organization in the United States. Paulus also served as the Symphony and Concert Writer Director on the ASCAP Board of Directors from 1990 through 2014.  

On behalf of Dr. Peter Hanser-Strecker, President of Schott Music, and the entire Schott family worldwide, we send our deepest sympathies to Steve’s beloved wife, Patty, and his two sons, Greg and Andrew. Steve will be very much missed by all of us, and by the entire music world.

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