Presenting District: Umatilla-Morrow
Presenter: Paul Dreyer
Program Description: Paula uses her Little Gems for Piano pieces as a springboard for creativity. Even if you have never improvised, you will leave the session with some concrete tools that will allow you to explore the piano in fresh, new ways.
About Paula Dreyer: Paula Dreyer is a classically-trained pianist and composer, making music in a unique style that draws upon influences of classical, Spanish, film, and improvisational music. Known for her transporting and mesmerizing performances, Paula has graced world-class stages from Carnegie Hall to the Green Music Center, performing in the US, Canada, Nicaragua, Prague, Portugal, and Spain. She has been an Artist-in-Residence at Obras in Portugal, where she composed much of the music for her globally successful Little Gems for Piano educational series. Paula is also a well respected educator and presents nationally to music teachers. She has collaborated with world-renowned choreographer Kevin Jenkins and San Francisco based visual artist Adrian Arias, as well as with genre defying groups Potaje and Matt Small’s Chamber Ensemble. Paula was a band member for San Francisco’s legendary show Beach Blanket Babylon. She was the winner of the Montréal Classical Music Festival and was a chamber music semi-finalist in the Concert Artist Guild Competition at New York’s Merkin Hall. In her debut original solo album Central Star, Paula tells a personal, yet universal story about the powers of imagination, intuition, and creative expression during challenging times of transition, as well as offering a therapeutic medium during everyday life. pauladreyer.com/presentations