Stephen Paulus facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Stephen Paulus
Paulus in 2011
Born	(1949-08-24)August 24, 1949 Summit, New Jersey, U.S.
Died	October 19, 2014(2014-10-19) (aged 65) Arden Hills, Minnesota, U.S.
Nationality	American
Alma mater	University of Minnesota
Occupation	Composer
Notable work	The Postman Always Rings Twice, To Be Certain of the Dawn, Pilgrims' Hymn

Stephen Paulus (born August 24, 1949 – died October 19, 2014) was an American composer. He won a Grammy Award for his music. He was most famous for his operas and choral music, which is music written for choirs.

His music style was often described as tonal, meaning it used clear musical keys. It was also very melodic, with strong tunes, and had a romantic feel.

One of his most famous works is his 1982 opera, The Postman Always Rings Twice. He wrote this and other operas for the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. The New York Times newspaper even called him "a young man on the road to big things."

Stephen Paulus received important awards and grants. These included money from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation. He also won the special Kennedy Center Friedheim Prize. Many famous groups asked him to write music for them. These included the Minnesota Opera and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

Paulus cared a lot about other composers. In 1973, he helped start the American Composers Forum. This is the biggest group in the U.S. that helps composers. He also served on the board of ASCAP from 1990 until he passed away. He died in 2014 from health problems after a stroke in 2013.

Stephen Paulus's Early Life and Career

Stephen Paulus was born in Summit, New Jersey. When he was two years old, his family moved to Minnesota. He went to Alexander Ramsey High School in Roseville, Minnesota.

After high school, he studied at the University of Minnesota. There, he earned a Ph.D. in composition in 1978. This means he got a high degree in how to create music.

By 1983, he became the Composer-in-Residence for the Minnesota Orchestra. This means he was the main composer for that orchestra. In 1988, he also held the same job for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Their conductor, Robert Shaw, asked Paulus to write many choral pieces for his choir.

After his second opera, The Postman Always Rings Twice, Paulus started working closely with the Opera Theatre of St. Louis. This led to him writing four more operas for them. In 1997, he received the Brock Commission from the American Choral Directors Association. This was a special award for his choral music.

Stephen Paulus lived in the Twin Cities area for most of his life. He composed music for over forty years. He wrote more than 450 pieces. These included works for choirs, orchestras, and solo singers. He also wrote for piano, guitar, organ, and bands.

On July 4, 2013, Paulus had a stroke. He passed away on October 19, 2014, at the age of 65, due to health issues from the stroke.

Stephen Paulus's Musical Creations

Stephen Paulus wrote many different kinds of music. His works included pieces for choirs, orchestras, and solo singers. His choral music was especially varied. It ranged from complex works like Visions from Hildegard to short songs and a cappella pieces.

He wrote almost 60 pieces for orchestra. He was a special composer for the orchestras of Atlanta, Minnesota, Tucson, and Annapolis. Famous conductors like Christoph von Dohnányi and Leonard Slatkin performed his new works.

Many major orchestras asked him to write music for them. These included the Cleveland Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. In 2011, he even wrote a concerto called "Timepiece" with his son, Greg Paulus. The Minnesota Orchestra performed it.

Paulus wrote over 150 pieces for choirs. One important work is his oratorio, To Be Certain of the Dawn. This piece is about the Holocaust. Another famous song is "Pilgrims' Hymn." This moving song was sung at the funerals of U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford.

His music has been performed and recorded thousands of times. Groups like the New York Choral Society and the Dale Warland Singers have performed his works. He also wrote pieces for famous singers like Thomas Hampson and Deborah Voigt. Instrumental soloists who played his music included Doc Severinsen and Lynn Harrell.

Two of his most popular short choral songs are "Pilgrims' Hymn" and "The Road Home." "Pilgrims' Hymn" was part of a short opera called The Three Hermits. It first played in 1997. "The Road Home" was written in 2001. It uses an old tune from the 1835 Southern Harmony Songbook.

Paulus often worked with the poet Michael Dennis Browne. They would share ideas for words and music until the songs were perfect. "Pilgrims' Hymn" is loved by church choirs around the world. "The Road Home" is sung by many high school and concert choirs. You can find many performances of both songs online.

Paulus's Operas

Stephen Paulus was very well known for his operas. People often described them as "dramatic and lyrical." His operas were also known for their "lush" orchestra music. Here are some of his operas:

• The Village Singer, a short opera (1979)
• The Postman Always Rings Twice (1982)
• The Woodlanders, a sad love story based on a book by Thomas Hardy (1985)
• Harmoonia, an opera made for children (1991)
• The Three Hermits, a "church opera" (1997)
• Summer, based on a story by Edith Wharton (1999)
• Hester Prynne at Death, based on a story by Nathaniel Hawthorne (2004)
• The Star Gatherer (2006)
• The Shoemaker (2012)
• Heloise and Abelard, with words by Frank Corsaro
• The Woman at Otowi Crossing, which explores spiritual ideas and Native American culture

Paulus's Orchestra Works

Stephen Paulus wrote many pieces for full orchestras. Here are some of them:

• Lunar Maria, for orchestra (1976)
• Spectra for Small Orchestra (1980)
• Translucent Landscapes (1982)
• Concerto for Orchestra (1983)
• Seven Short Pieces for Orchestra (1984)
• Ordway Overture (1985)
• Reflections: Four Movements on a Theme of Wallace Stevens, for Chamber Orchestra (1985)
• Suite from The Woodlanders, for orchestra (1985)
• Suite from The Postman Always Rings Twice, for orchestra (1982; arranged in 1986)
• Symphony (No. 1) in Three Movements Soliloquy (1986)
• Ground Breaker Overture (1987)
• Concertante for orchestra (1989)
• Symphony (No. 2) for Strings (1989)
• Night Speech for Baritone and Orchestra (1989)
• Street Music (1990)
• Sinfonietta (No. 1) (1991)
• Suite from Harmoonia, for Narrator and Full Orchestra (1991)
• Manhattan Sinfonietta (Sinfonietta No. 2) (1995)
• Concerto in the American Style, for orchestra (1998)
• The Age of American Passions, for symphony orchestra (1999)
• Dialogues for orchestra (2001)
• The Five Senses, for Narrator and Orchestra (2003)
• Paean for orchestra (2004)
• Sea Portraits, Four Pieces for orchestra (Sunrise - Sailing - Storm - Moonlight on the Sea) (2004)
• Behold This Man, George Washington, for Narrator and Orchestra (2005)
• Impressions for orchestra (2008)
• Introduction to Sweep Dreams, for orchestra (2008)
• Dylan Thomas Songs (Three Songs on texts by Dylan Thomas), for Soprano and Orchestra (2009)
• Prayers and Remembrances, for Mixed Chorus and Orchestra (2011)
• TimePiece, for Jazz Soloists and Orchestra (2011)
• Voices from the Gallery

Paulus's Concertos

A concerto is a piece of music for a solo instrument and an orchestra.

Piano Concertos

• Concerto (No. 1) for Piano and Symphony Orchestra (2002)
• Concerto (No. 2) for Piano and Concert Band (2005)

Violin Concertos

• Concerto No. 1 for Violin and Symphony Orchestra (1987)
• Concerto No. 2 for Violin and Chamber Orchestra (1992)
• Concerto No. 3 for Violin and Symphony Orchestra (2012), written for William Preucil

Organ Concertos

• Concerto (No. 1) for Organ, String Orchestra, Timpani and Percussion (1992)
• Concerto (No. 2) for Organ, Chorus and Orchestra (2002)
• Grand Concerto (Concerto No. 3) for Organ and Orchestra (first performed in 2004)
• Concerto No. 4 for Organ and Symphony Orchestra (2003)

Concertos for Other Instruments

• Divertimento for Harp and Chamber Orchestra (1983)
• Ice Fields (Concerto) for Guitar and Orchestra (1990)
• Concerto for Trumpet (in B-flat) and Orchestra (1991), requested and first played by Doc Severinsen
• Double Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra (first performed in 1993)
• Concerto for String Quartet and Orchestra Three Places of Enlightenment (1995)
• Concerto for Two Trumpets and Orchestra (2003) - also arranged for Two Trumpets and Concert Band (2007)
• Bravo Bells (2003), for carillon (a musical instrument with bells)
• Concerto for Cello and Orchestra (2009), written for Lynn Harrell
• Double Concerto for Piano and Organ with Strings and Percussion (planned in 2010, possibly not finished)

Paulus's Organ Music

Solo Organ Pieces

• A Refined Reflection
• Blithely Breezing Along, from Baronian Suite
• King David's Dance
• Meditations On The Spirit
• Organic Romp
• Three Temperaments
• Toccata
• Triptych

Organ Duets

• Paean
• The Triumph of the Saint
• Cathedral Fanfare