Meet composer Paul Dooley, one of the most promising young composers of our generation. Mr. Dooley is from Santa Rosa, California and recently received his doctorate in composition from the University of Michigan. Composer Steve Reich has described Mr. Dooley's work as both "impressive and beautiful," as his compositions perfectly blend Western Classical heritage with contemporary practices including dance, art, technology, and nature.
Akropolis with composer Paul Dooley
As an accomplished artist and teacher in the field of performing arts technology, Dooley has recently taught courses at the University of Michigan in electronic music. His composition and musical mentors have included Michael Daugherty, Bright Sheng, Evan Chambers, Frank Ticheli, Stephen Hartke, and Frederick Lesermann. Mr. Dooley's talent is in high demand around the country. In addition to Akropolis, Mr. Dooley has been commissioned by the New York Youth Symphony, the Young Musicians Foundation Debut Orchestra, and the American Bandmasters Association.
Alongside his commissions, he served as the Composer-in-Residence with the Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings from 2011 to 2012 and has been performed by artists and ensembles around the country such as Alarm Will Sound, the Charlotte Symphony, Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, Omaha Symphony, Aspen Philharmonic Orchestra, New York Youth Symphony, American Youth Symphony, Chautauqua Festival Orchestra, American Philharmonic, the Atlantic Classical Orchestra, USC Thornton Ensembles, University of Michigan ensembles, and a reading by the Detroit Symphony. With all of these orchestras requesting his compositions, Dooley has been performed in concert halls around the country, including a premiere in Carnegie Hall.
Akropolis was excited to welcome this fantastic and accomplished young composer aboard the Unraveled Commissioning Project. Mr. Dooley was asked, along with composers Jason Turbin, Roger Zare, Florie Namir, Joshua Marquez, and Eli Stine, to create a work for reed quintet around the theme "Unraveled." This theme became the basis and title of Akropolis' second studio album, which is scheduled to be released on March 16, 2014.
Mr. Dooley's new composition is titled "Warp & Weft," drawing inspiration from the motion of threads weaving together in traditional loom technique. The composition is the cornerstone of Akropolis' second album because of its pulsating rhythmic figures and catchy melodic line. New music fans can attend the official premiere of "Warp & Weft" Thursday, August 15, 2013 online, as it is proudly being featured as the sixth episode in Akropolis' web premiere series (past web premiere episodes can be found here).
Click here to attend the event online and see the first ever performance of "Warp & Weft."
Akropolis will also be performing "Warp & Weft" at the Unraveled CD Release Concert on March 16, 2014 at 3:00 p.m. as part of the Green Wood Chamber Series located at the First United Methodist Church of Ann Arbor (Green Wood Location) at 1001 Green Rd, Ann Arbor MI. Visit Akropolis' website or their Ariel Artists page for more information. Admission to the CD Release Concert is free.
Before the web premiere, we asked composer Paul Dooley the following questions about his compositional inspirations, what drew him to composing for Akropolis, as well as the process behind workshopping a composition with the performing ensemble.
ARQ: What sparked your interest in composing?
PD: I first became interested in the piano after seeing the movie "Shine" (starring Geoffrey Rush). Once I started playing piano, I had a hard time learning to read music. I remember discovering I was playing the Clementi piano sonata incorrectly even after spending a considerable amount of time practicing it. I decided to perform "my version" of the piece instead and discovered I thoroughly enjoyed turning it into my own. From then on, I became very interested in writing my own music.
ARQ: Can you describe your style and influences as a composer?
PD: Most recently I have been interested in the cross pollination of electronic dance music and the contemporary classical tradition. This stemmed from a 2010 commission I had from the New York City-based new music ensemble Alarm Will Sound, who is known for their acoustic arrangements of Aphex Twin, a celebrated electronic artist. As a percussionist, I feel I am able to successfully apply my experience playing the drums to my compositions. My composition "style" is heavily influenced by my technique, gained from my excellent mentors which include Michael Daugherty, Bright Sheng, Evan Chambers, Frank Ticheli, and Stephen Hartke.
ARQ: How is the reed quintet an appealing force for which to compose?
PD: I particularly like the fluidity between the instruments and their ability to be accompanimental or soloistic. While there are clearly "preferred" ways of voicing chords and harmonies, I found the timbres of the reed quintet complement each other more often than not. By having only two, or at most, three ideas going on at a given time, there is a wonderful clarity in the reed quintet. The group soars when the players have ample rests and enough time to respond to one another.
ARQ: Can you describe your new reed quintet work, "Warp & Weft?"
PD: "Warp & Weft" is inspired by cloth weaving technique and it is my take on Akropolis' Unraveled theme. "Warp" is a set of lengthwise yarns held in tension on a loom, and "weft" is a piece of yarn inserted over and under the warp threads. The warp and weft are musically represented by two contrasting motives: one legato and staccato. These two themes weave themselves together, swapping different compositional characteristics as they create a colorful musical texture.
ARQ: Can you talk about the evolution of "Warp & Weft" via the workshopping process with Akropolis? What was it like to work hand-in-hand with the performing ensemble?
PD: Working hand-in-hand with an ensemble very quickly answers many technical and formal questions. One can work on a piece for month, happy with its formal structure and technical requirements, but ten or fifteen minutes with a live ensemble, like Akropolis, and all that can change. Akropolis helped me revise passages that were unnecessarily difficult. They also made great suggestions on how to fix technical and formal aspects of the piece, whether it be changing or rearranging notes, or moving a melodic line to a different instrument.
ARQ: What are some of your upcoming projects we should watch out for?
PD: I am currently working on a new fanfare commissioned for the opening of the Amarillo Symphony’s 2013-14 season. Early in 2014 I will also be completing new works commissioned by the American Bandmasters Association and the Young Musicians Foundation Debut Orchestra.
Click here to attend the online web premiere performance of Paul Dooley's "Warp & Weft" performed by the Akropolis Reed Quintet.
Connect with Paul Dooley online at his website, Facebook, and on Twitter.
To get a taste of Paul Dooley's composition style, check out the video below of Paul Dooley's award-winning composition, "Point Blank," performed by Alarm Will Sound.