Price, Paul, 1921-1986

Percussionist in the American Symphony Orchestra.

Paul William Price (b. Fitchburg, Mass., 31 July, 1910- d. New York, 1986) was a percussionist, composer, conductor, publisher of percussion music, and music educator during the four decades following the end of World War II. He studied at the Cincinnati Conservatory under George Carey and Fred Noak. In his teaching career he held faculty positions at the University of Illinois from 1949 to 1956; Boston University; Ithaca College; Newark State College and, after 1957, the Manhattan School of Music. Price also conducted the Manhattan Percussion Ensemble and began independently publishing percussion music under the titles "Music for Percussion" and "Paul Price Publications," beginning in the mid-1960s. He was also a composer of percussion music and a writer of books on percussion methodology. Through these activities he was influential in promoting the growth of the percussion ensemble movement in the United States and in stimulating interest in composing for percussion in the latter half of the 20th century.