Biography

A native of Southern California, Paul Cotton (he/ him) is an established performer and instructor in saxophone, flute, and clarinet. Audiences have heard him play around the world in such prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, Seoul Performing Arts Center, Redlands Bowl, Nixon Library, Carpenter Center, and numerous university campuses. Passionate about his commitment to new music, Paul has worked with numerous composers to perform their works including the IU New Music Ensemble under the direction of David Dzubay. He has performed around the world and regularly attends conferences from the North American Saxophone Alliance, World Saxophone Congress, and the Navy Band Saxophone Symposium.

Bringing his spirit for competition, Paul has won numerous competitions around the world for both solo and chamber. He was a featured soloist for the Redlands Music Festival performing Concertino da Camera by Jacques Ibert. He also performed in Carnegie Hall after winning Grand prize in the International American Protégé solo competition as well as winning 1st Prize in the International Grand Prize Virtuoso Competition in Belgium. Additionally, he won “Woodwind of the Year” from his music school and a recipient of the Martin Figotin Scholarship.

As a pedagogue, Paul regularly teaches woodwinds privately to students all around Southern California. His students have earned top chairs in their music ensembles and have been selected into prestigious groups such as the CBDA All-State honor band, SCSBOA All-Southern honor band, Pacific Youth Wind Ensemble, and various bands and orchestras in the nation. His students have received scholarships and rewards for their musical achievements and have gone on to study at prestigious institutions such as Stanford University, University of Irvine, and others. As an in-demand educator, Paul is an instructor at many band programs in southern California and is a featured clinician at various schools around the nation. Paul was awarded the MarySue Harris Fellowship Award which is given to a select few music teachers in the country who demonstrate commitment in the music teaching profession and studio development. He is committed to fostering an inclusive environment for all his students and encourages his students to learn both jazz and classical music.

Paul received his Bachelor's in Music (BM) at California State University, Long Beach and his Master's in Music (MM) in Performance at Indiana University. His teachers include Dr. Otis Murphy, James Barrera, Yi Chen, and Stephanie Getz.