Stephen Paulson

Stephen Paulson joined the San Francisco Symphony as Principal Bassoonist in 1977 and made his SFS solo debut the following year in Vivaldi’s C major Bassoon Concerto. Since then, he has been a frequent soloist with the Orchestra, performing with conductors such as Kurt Masur, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Christopher Hogwood, and Helmuth Rilling. In March 2001 he performed Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto with the SFS under Michael Tilson Thomas. Mr. Paulson was soloist in his own Bassoon Concerto with the Rochester Philharmonic and, with William Steinberg conducting, on the Pittsburgh Symphony’s subscription series. Also a conductor, he has led SFS musicians in Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du soldat and in wind serenades by Mozart. Since 1998 he has been Music Director of Symphony Parnassus, which performs four concerts a year at the Herbst Theater and at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Concert Hall.

Mr. Paulson has served on the faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music since 1978. He has been a guest artist and faculty member at the Aspen Music Festival, the Grand Teton Music Festival, and Music in the Vineyards. He has also been a guest coach with the New World Symphony. In 1995 he was one of four SFS musicians chosen by Sir Georg Solti to play in Solti’s World Orchestra, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the United Nations. Mr. Paulson plays the Fox Model 601 bassoon, and is an authorized retailer of these instruments. He also retails bassoon reeds which he hand finishes.

Stephen Paulson graduated with honors from the Eastman School of Music. He studied bassoon with K. David Van Hoesen and Mordechai Rechtman and composition with Samuel Adler. From 1970 to 1977 he served as co-principal bassoonist of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Prior to that, he performed with the Rochester Philharmonic for four seasons, serving as principal bassoonist with that ensemble from 1968 to 1970.

Courtesy of http://www.sfsymphony.org/