Paul Nolen

Biography

Dr. Paul Nolen currently serves as Associate Professor of Saxophone at Illinois State University. Paul has appeared as soloist, chamber musician, and jazz artist throughout the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the UK.

Dr. Nolen appeared as concerto soloist at the 2012 World Saxophone Congress in Scotland with the Royal Northern College of Music Wind Ensemble, where he premiered Dr. Roy Magnuson’s Concerto for Saxophone and Wind Ensemble. He has soloed with the San Francisco Wind Ensemble at the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, and the University of New Mexico Wind Ensemble at the Robb Symposium. In 2018, he gave a consortium premiere of William Bolcom’s Concerto for Soprano Saxophone with the ISU Wind Symphony. Dr. Nolen has recorded two CD’s of Davis Maslanka’s music on Albany Records with ISU Wind Bands. They include a 2012 recording of David Maslanka’s Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Wind Ensemble and a 2018 release, entitled Saxophone Concertos: Maslanka/Magnuson, with the premiere recording of David Maslanka’s Concerto for Saxophone Quartet and Wind Ensemble.

Dr. Nolen is also well known for his work with the award winning Iridium Quartet, with whom he has traveled and performed across North American for the past ten years, and recorded two CD’s of American music for saxophone quartet: Into Xylonia, and Skylines, both available on the Blue Griffin Record Label. Paul is a staunch advocate of new music and has commissioned works by composers such as William Bolcom, Roy Magnuson, Joshua Keeling, David Kirkland Garner, Peter Gilbert, Peter Lieuwen, Roy Magnuson, Marcus Maroney, David Maslanka, Sonia Morales, Karola Obermüller, David Rakowski, Ben Stonaker, and Carl Schimmel.

Dr. Nolen performs regularly with the Iridium Quartet, Peoria Symphony Orchestra, and the Heartland Festival Orchestras. He has given numerous masterclasses and lectures throughout the United States, including classes at the Brevard Music Festival, and has twice led an International Saxophone Course at the Aberystwyth MusicFest in Wales, UK. He received his Doctorate of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees from Michigan State University with Joseph Lulloff, and his undergraduate degree in saxophone performances from the UMKC Conservatory of Music with Tim Timmons.