About

At the core of Paul’s portfolio are his works for concert band, including his two symphonies. In 2017, Symphony No. 1 was selected for the National Band Association’s Young Composer & Conductor Mentor Project, where its third movement received a performance by the United States Air Force Band. In 2020, Paul completed Symphony No. 2, entitled Chromosphere, for a consortium of eight college and high school bands across the country. More recently, Paul has been expanding his catalog to include young band, orchestral, and choral pieces.

Paul’s latest premieres include: The Snicklefritz Swing (concert band), Caritas Christi Urget Nos (choir), One Brave Knight (concert band), Prayer for Healing (concert band), A Cord of Three Strands (brass trio), And the Word (choir & orchestra), O Little Town of Bethlehem (arr. for choir & orchestra), and Bounce! (concert band).

A number of higher learning institutions have collaborated with Paul, including: the College of Wooster, Concordia College, the Ohio State University, Southern New Hampshire University, St. Olaf College, the University of New Hampshire, and the University of North Texas. Paul has also worked with Agape Christi Academy, Bridgewater-Raritan High School, Brunswick High School, Charlotte Catholic High School, Epping High School, Fergus Falls Secondary School, Hutchinson High School, Manchester Central High School, Manchester Memorial High School, New Prague High School, Noble High School, NRHEG High School, Pierz Healy High School, Pinkerton Academy, Spaulding High School, Staples-Motley High School, and Valley City High School, as well as multiple churches.

Throughout his life, Paul has been inspired and influenced by a wide variety of music and composers; beginning with John Williams and Rich Mullins, this now includes everything from Brahms to Bruckner, Sibelius to Snarky Puppy, Tchaikovsky to Toto, and Maslanka to Mannheim Steamroller. Paul’s music often features strong, inevitable melodies supported by rich harmonies and lush orchestration. He strives to make a profound statement with every musical phrase, resulting in an intensely emotional experience.

Short bio, suitable for program notes:

Paul Cravens (b. 1989) is a composer and church musician from Minnesota. He received his undergraduate degree in composition from Concordia College (Moorhead, MN), and went on to earn his M.A. from the University of New Hampshire. Throughout his life, Paul has been inspired by a wide variety of music from Sibelius and Snarky Puppy to Maslanka and Mannheim Steamroller. He strives to make a profound statement with every musical phrase, resulting in an intensely emotional experience. Paul lives in Hutchinson, MN with his wife and son, and loves camping, tacos, and connecting with people over music.

Paul’s sheet music is sold through J.W. Pepper, Sheet Music Plus, and Sheet Music Direct.

Through the use of high-fidelity virtual sound libraries, Paul has added the capability to make his own lifelike recordings in-house. The sound files can be useful in performance preparation for a conductor or ensemble, but are also one more way Paul is able to share his music with the general public outside of concerts. These recordings can be found on Bandcamp and YouTube.

You can find Paul on Facebook, YouTube, Bandcamp, and SoundCloud.

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