Paul Gibson
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Born in 1952, in Sacramento, California, Paul Gibson heard his first liturgical music a few years later when his family moved to the small village in France. While there, his father would take him to a small monastery to hear the monks singing in Solesmes-style Gregorian chant, experiences which were to have a significant impact on Gibson’s later compositional approach.
After returning to the States, the Gibson family settled in San Bernardino, California, where Paul attended the local Catholic grammar schools. Around the age of eight, he began piano lessons and was inspired by biographies of Schubert and Beethoven to begin composing. In high school, Gibson’s interest turned to rock music, both as a songwriter and performer, singing and playing keyboards, flute and guitar.
After graduating summa cum laude from Mount St. Mary’s College (Los Angeles) in 1974, where he studied theory, composition, and arranging with Matt Doran, a student of Ernst Toch, Gibson attended California State University, Northridge, studying primarily with Frank Campo and Aurelio de la Vega. During this time, he also began his professional church music career, playing organ, leading a youth (guitar) group, and singing as cantor for St. Monica’s Church in Santa Monica.
After earning his Masters degree in music, he began an extended period of freelance work in a wide range of music-related activities, including singing, teaching, music criticism, and working at KUSC-FM, the leading classical music public radio station in the L. A. area. In 1985 he joined the Los Angeles Master Chorale with whom he has sung under three Music Directors: John Currie, Paul Salamunovich, and Grant Gershon. In addition, he performed in the Chorale with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under such conductors as Simon Rattle, Zubin Mehta, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and André Previn, in repertoire ranging from Bach to Ligeti. For several years, Gibson also sang in the chorus of Los Angeles Opera. His freelance singing work has ranged from a performance of Tallis’ 40-voice motet Spem in alium with the Tallis Scholars to a late-night recording session with Rod Stewart.
In 1987, the Los Angeles archdiocese commissioned Gibson to arrange the hymns that concluded the two main liturgies of Pope John Paul II's visit to Los Angeles. In 1993, G.I.A. released A Mass of Life, a critically acclaimed CD collection of his sacred music, described by author and syndicated classical radio host Jim Svejda as "...one of those rare contemporary works which manages to be simultaneously provocative, challenging and instantly approachable...a consistently rewarding, deeply moving work by one of the most humane composers of his generation."
In addition to liturgical music, Gibson has been active in secular choral music and chamber music. He was selected twice in the Pacific Composers Forum Commissioning Circle Program and was a winner in the Fifth Annual PCF Competition for New Music. In 1996, Gibson took part in the first Composers Symposium of the Oregon Bach Festival, where three of his choral works were performed and where he studied with John Harbison. For their 15th anniversary in 2001, the Los Angeles Children's Chorus commissioned Gibson to compose Suite: Alice Through a Looking-Glass, a multi-movement setting of Lewis Carroll texts, parts of which were included in Sing!, the Academy Award-nominated documentary about the children’s chorus. The Los Angeles Times has acknowledged his work as "music of vaulting exaltation," and his choral works have been broadcast on hundreds of radio stations across North America. Paul Salamunovich, Grant Gershon, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the Debussy Trio, the Los Angeles Children's Chorus, Richard Proulx, Zephyr, and the Los Angeles Chamber Singers are among the many artists who have performed his work. Find out more at his website PaulGibsonMusic.com.
Gibson works in classical music marketing and sings with the Los Angeles Master Chorale. He recently retired from his position as cantor and composer-in-residence at Holy Family Cathedral in Orange, capping a 30-year career as a professional church musician. He lives with his wife Carol and dogs in Downey, California.
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