Author - Paul Austin

Paul Austin is Vice President of the Regional Orchestra Players’ Association (ROPA). Founded in 1984, ROPA’s current membership includes 83 American symphonic orchestras and opera/ballet companies, with nearly 6,000 musicians. Austin also serves as Chair of ROPA’s electronic media committee, as well as a member of the American Federation of Musicians national media oversight committee.

In addition to his ROPA duties, Paul Austin currently enjoys a multifaceted career as soloist, pedagogue, chamber musician, and orchestral player. After earning a doctorate in horn performance from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music in 1994, Dr. Austin was a Resident Artist at the Banff Centre for the Arts in Alberta, Canada. In 1995, he became a recipient of a Gilmore Emerging Artist grant, which allowed him to study the natural horn in London, England.

In 1999, Paul Austin became a member of the Grand Rapids Symphony horn section. He has represented his GRS colleagues as a member of the negotiation, orchestra, artistic advisory, pension, tour, media, strategic planning, and health care task force committees.

Paul Austin has appeared as presenter/panelist at the International Natural Horn Festival in Essen, Germany, as well as many regional and national conventions of the International Horn Society. He has served as a horn faculty member at colleges in Michigan, Louisiana, and Ohio. In addition, Dr. Austin is the author of [i]A Modern Valve Horn Player’s Guide to the Natural Horn[/i]. He was named to the 2002 edition of [i]International Who’s Who in Classical Music[/i].