Composer & Arranger
updated June 18, 2019
Paul Gaspar has been a freelance composer, arranger, transcriber, and conductor since 1982. His writing is found in virtually every major band in Rochester, NY. He is demanded for the incredible accuracy of his transcriptions, with or without his personal touch, across every major genre in and outside of classical & jazz. His compositions reflect his in-depth study and his immersion in the of culture of all of his music. His talents have been recognized by Eastman School of Music faculty James Thompson, Douglas Prosser, Dr. John Marcellus, plus the over 200 people who attended Paul's recent degree recital fro Eastman, where he composed and/or arranged virtually the entire repertoire, which included original works, plus works of JS Bach, Charpentier, Debussy and Halsey Stevens. His commercial writing achievements have been heard on TV and national circus tours. Paul is frequently contracted to create "remakes" of pieces that maintain the essence of the music but add a fresh perspective. Since November 2011 alone, Paul has revamped Chanukah music, Christmas hymns, composed, transcribed & arranged Gospel music, composed string parts for several heavy metal songs, arranged over a dozen big band pieces and as just as many salsa and merengue pieces.
NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL ACTS:
Miller and The Other Sinners
Buffalo NY-based David Miller tours nationally as a singer, guitarist, and songwriter. in 2019 Paul was contracted to compose horn arrangements for three songs to be recorded in August 2019. Paul will record trumpet parts.
Paul played trombone on the debut concert featuring these arrangements at the Tralf in Buffalo April 2019, and has been asked to write more for their horn section.
New York State Ballet (see page)
Henry Prego, Recording Artist, and Henry Prego Sings Frank Sinatra, Orange County, CA, 2012 to date.
Henry has performed tours across the US, Canada, the UK and beyond.
Paul is the Big band arranger for 40 of his pieces and counting, and co-arranger ("scribe" more or less) for his solo album Wicked")
Big Barra Band, Napoli Italy 2014 to date
Paul wrote the big band arrangements
ORPM, Lille France August 2015 to date
Arranger for the 40-piece regional wind symphony
Joe Scalissi, Dean Martin impersonator, Madison, WI, Feb 2013. Joe has performed tours across the US, Canada, Dubai, and beyond.
Paul is the composer & arranger for his Dean Martin Overture for Joe's big band
Circo Mundial: The National Hispanic Circus of Puerto Rico 1997-2000
Paul composed & arranged music: salsa, jazz, big band, funk, rock, classical, Guacho (South American) Soca,
African, European & American style marches and more.
Circus America 1993-1996
as above
World (Soccer) Cup MVP Awards Ceremony, Buffalo NY ca 1994
Paul composed horn section music for band feature; composed "bumps" for award recipients
TV
Tele-Once (TV-11), San Juan, PR, 1997-2000
Paul composed the 30 second music for TV commercial for Circo Mundial advertisement
ESPN Lighter Side of Sports with Lyell Alzato, Atlantic City, NJ ca 1991
Paul composed theme music, composed and/or arranged "bumps" to commercials.
WHEC TV10 switch over from CBS to NBC ca. 1990
Paul did the "My House is Your House" transcription/arrangement
Composer / Arranger in Residence
Temple Sinai, Rochester, NY 2008 to date
Transcribe, arrange & conduct Jewish service & folk music for Sinai Brass, their 14-piece brass choir.
Pieces range for authentic traditional style & sound, to adding jazz, Latin, Reggae, Rock, 16th Century Madrigal
His latest work for 3 shofars & choir will have its world premier September 2015
Fairport High School 1993 to date
Composer, arranger, transcribe for Fairport High Schools jazz ensembles.
Big Band,Latin Jazz/salsa, Ray Charles, Booker T & the MGs, Fish, to name a few
Noteworthy Studios, Victor, NY 2007 to date
Resident composer/arranger for recording sessions.
Writing for clientele which includes Susan Krasner, Dave Spinner, Cinnamon Jones
Hochestein School of Music Arts in Action summer camp 2004-2007
Irish folk, Disney favorites, Western Themes, Fairy Tale Theme (boys hated that one)
Composer / Arranger for Upstate NY groups
Paul Gaspar Brass Sextet 2014 to date
Works of J.S. Bach, W.A. Mozart, G.F. Handel, Mussorgsky, etc
Heavy Metal Brass Quintet 2011 to date
Sacred Christmas Music
Orquesta Antonetti/Antonetti Productions 1986 to date
transcribed over 300 songs: salsa, merengue, etc
Summer Salsa Camp 2007 - 2011
Jazz ensemble with salsa rhythm section
Composed original music, transcribed & arranged over 40 songs
Music of Tito Puente, Oscar Hernandez, Gran Combo, and traditional Puerto Rican & Cuban music prior to 1960
Kerry Cannan 2009 to 2012
Composed & arranged live string parts and horn parts for 2 CDs:, Latin Rock, "Angst" Hard Rock
Prime Time Funk, Shine, Orient Express, The Boss Street Band 1990 to 2014
Transcribe & arrange performance repertoire of commercial music / Top 40 / R&B, Funk, etc
Latin Spectrum Orchestra (salsa/Latin Jazz) 2002 to date
Composed & arranged all music
Paul Gaspar Orchestra 1990-1994
Composed; transcribed & arranged music of Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Harry Connick, jr., Nelson Riddle/Linda Rondstant
OTHER
Annual Rochester Hall of Fame Ceremony, Eastman Theatre 2012 and 2013
2012 Arranged 2 original versions and transcribed 2 pieces for performance during the ceremony.
2013 Co-transcribed & adapted opening Gospel number
Martin Luther King Celebrations, Mt. Olivet Church and Eastman Theatre 2012
Featuring Gopsel local artists Paul Bouttee and Julius Dicks
Compose and/or arranged horn section music (Gospel music)
Paul Gaspar Chamber Orchestra 2011
Charpentier's "Depuis le Jour" or 25-piece orchestra.
Orchestrated for Paul Gaspar, solo trumpet in D, with strings, woodwinds, brass, piano
This work was performed at Paul's Eastman degree recital
Eastman Trombone Choir 2010
J.S. Bach "Adagio & Fugue BMV 564" for 28-piece trombone choir. Paul Gaspar, soprano trombone
This work was performed at Paul's Eastman degree recital
Local public, private & charter schools 1997 - date
Composed as well as arranged & transcribed & arranged selections from Barbara Streissand's King & I for Pittsford Middle School
Rochester School of the Arts: Transcribed & arranged compilation of soul pieces for the SOTA Singers.
Brockport Symphony with the Paul Gaspar Orchestra 1992
Transcribed 5 Nelson Riddle arrangements for full orchestra plus big band featuring vocalist Katrina Gaspar
Rochester Sesquicentennial Celebration 1985
Brass Fanfares for Erie Canal celebration
CD
JOY! Celebrate Upstate Holiday CD Vol. I, Rochester, NY 2007
Co-composed song & lyrics with Katrina Gaspar the title Gospel track
Composed, arranged, produced & conducted instrumental & choir parts,
as well as arrangement for Jingle Bells. See Audio & Video page to listen to samples.
Susan Krasner's Threads & For You CDs, Rochester NY 2008-2011
Composed solo lines and horn section music.
Threads Jewish/world beat
For You jazz/fusion jazz ballad
EDUCATION:
Eastman School of Music 2007-2011
BA/AMU Trumpet May 2011
Eastman School of Music 1987-1988
Arranging with Rayburn Wright
Nazareth College 1985-1986
Composition with Dr. Timothy Sullivan