Paul Brantley

Composer (cellist and conductor), PAUL BRANTLEY, is a six-time MacDowell Fellow who has received fellowships from Banff Centre and Anderson Center.

Brantley has enjoyed recent performances of his music by Boyd Meets Girl, Flux Quartet, Horszowski Trio, The Knights (at Tanglewood, BRIC, Dumbarton Oaks and Naumburg Concerts), classical guitarist Dan Lippel, Memphis Symphony, Minneapolis Guitar Quartet, New Esterházy Quartet, RiverArts Ensemble, and flutist Alice Teyssier. His cello concertino, The Royal Revolver, was premiered in 2017 by Eric Jacobsen (The Knights) and the University of Michigan Symphony conducted by Kenneth Kiesler. Filles de l’Élysée was released on the 2022 Boyd Meets Girl CD (Sono Luminous/Naxos). His Aliénor Competition commission, Yeeremynd for solo harpsichord, was premiered by Steve Beck in June 2022 at HKANA, The Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra, with soprano Jennifer Zetlan, gave the 25th anniversary performance of his On the Pulse of Morning also in June 2022. Brantley recently received a 2023 Centennial Commission from The Curtis Institute of Music.

As a cellist Brantley has given recent collaborative recitals featuring his music at 92NY with pianist Steve Beck, violinist, Elissa Cassini, soprano Ariadne Greif, classical guitarist Dan Lippel, and flutist Alice Teyssier. He has played with ensembles such as Cantata Profana, Cassatt Quartet, Heartbeat Opera, and SONYC. Beyond the world of classical music he has co-composed, arranged and/or conducted for jazz and pop greats David Binney, Ethel, Todd Rundgren, and Christian Scott.

Brantley has given composition seminars at Yale School of Music, Hunter College, Gabriel Fauré Conservatoire (Angoulême), University of Michigan and University School of Music and University of Georgia Hugh Hodgson School of Music. Brantley co-founded the Seal Bay Festival and was artist faculty at Yellow Barn Music Festival for many years. In addition to positions at Syracuse University and Washington and Lee University, Brantley was Manhattan School of Music artist faculty from 2000 to 2014. His music is published by Oxford University Press and Bill Holab Music.