Program Biography

Paul Lustig Dunkel, hailed for his command of classical repertoire and the music of our time, has served since its founding in 1983 as Music Director and Conductor of the Westchester Philharmonic (WP), recipients of the 2000 Leonard Bernstein Award for Adventurous Educational Programming. Co-founder in 1977 of the American Composers Orchestra (ACO) and instrumental in its success until he stepped down as Resident Conductor in 2000, and Co-Director with pianist Michael Boriskin of Music from Copland House, a chamber music ensemble dedicated to the advocacy of American music, he has assured his place in the history of American contemporary music. Music Director of the Denver Chamber Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor of the Vermont Mozart Festival, he has appeared as guest conductor with orchestras throughout the United States, the Washington Opera, New York City Ballet, and at the Kremlin and in Taiwan. A virtuoso flutist, with WP he commissioned, premiered and recorded (Bridge Records 9098) Melinda Wagner's Concerto for Flute, Strings and Percussion, awarded the 1999 Pulitzer Prize. A Grammy nominee and winner of the Leopold Stokowski Conducting Award, Mr. Dunkel has recorded for Bridge, Summit, CRI, Nonesuch and New World Records.