Composer Paul Salerni’s music “pulses with life, witty musical ideas and instrumental color” (The Philadelphia Inquirer), and has been described by the New York Times as “impressive” and “playful.” Recent premieres include Palma (Italian fable for narrator, young string players, young singers, and symphonic orchestra commissioned by WVIA to celebrate its fiftieth anniversary, premiered by the Northeast Pennsylvania Philharmonic), Disruption and Hope (clarinet quintet, commissioned and premiered by Concerts on the Slope), Three Places in Pennsylvania (flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano, commissioned and premiered by SATORI), Haunted, a one-act dance opera on a libretto by Dana Gioia for baritone, three dancers, string quartet, and percussion. A choral piece entitled “Bethlehem Carol” was published by Carl Fischer in fall 2018. Salerni’s music is also published by Presser, Alfred, Curci, and North Star.
Salerni’s one-act opera Tony Caruso’s Final Broadcast won the National Opera Association’s Chamber Opera competition in 2007, and a definitive recording of the opera was released on Naxos. His second one-act, The Life and Love of Joe Coogan, is an adaptation of a Dick Van Dyke TV Show episode. Other recent pieces include a ballet (FABLES) commissioned by RIOULT New York as well as commissions from Philadelphia Brass, Gabriel Chamber Ensemble, Two-Part Invention, Cape Cod Symphony, San Diego Chamber Orchestra, New Haven Symphony, Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta, and SATORI. A CD of Salerni’s chamber music (“Touched”) was released by Albany Records in January 2015 and a second Albany CD featuring chamber music and songs on texts by Dana Gioia (“Speaking of Love”) was released in January 2017. Most recently, Salerni’s CD of music for the Bowers Fader Duo entitled “People, Places, and Pets” was released on Bridge Records.
Salerni is the NEH Distinguished Chair in the Humanities and Professor of Music at Lehigh University. He received his Ph.D. in composition from Harvard University, where he studied with Earl Kim. Salerni has performed and lectured about Kim’s music in Korea, at the Kennedy Center, the 92nd St. Y, and the Aspen Music Festival. A dedicated educator, Salerni was the recipient of the Stabler Award, Lehigh University’s most valued acknowledgement of excellence in teaching. He served for seven years on the Board of Directors of the Suzuki Association of the Americas, including two years as its Chair. He is married to opera and theater director, Laura Johnson, and often writes music and performs with his two sons violinist Domenic (Attacca Quartet) and percussionist Miles (Philadelphia Ballet).
