Paul John Rudoi

tenor

ARTISTIC COUNCIL, PROGRAMMING

MEMBER SINCE: 2008-2016, present

HOMETOWN: Keystone Heights, FL

EDUCATION: B.M. Vocal Performance, Hartt School at University of Hartford, M.M. Choral Conducting, University of Oregon

Paul John Rudoi is an award-winning musician, entrepreneur, and advocate for arts access.

As a professional tenor vocalist, Paul has performed and recorded a wide range of music in professional ensembles nationwide including Seraphic Fire, The Santa Fe Desert Chorale, True Concord, the Oregon Bach Festival, and most notably Cantus. As a member of Cantus for more than eight seasons, Paul has premiered dozens of new works, traveled across four continents, educated in masterclasses driven by Cantus’ artistic and programming model, and advocated for arts education and empowerment via outreach opportunities nationwide.

Deemed “indisputably unique, confident, and innovative” through the American Prize, Paul’s compositions have been commissioned and performed by various ensembles and artists throughout North America and Europe. His work has garnered numerous grants from the Jerome Foundation, the ACF, MRAC, MSAB, the NEA, and ASCAP. His music is published through PJR Music (exclusively managed and distributed by Graphite Publishing) alongside ECS, Walton, MorningStar, Santa Barbara, and Graphite music publishers.

Paul recently served as the 3rd Artistic Director for the St. John’s Boys’ Choir during its 40th Anniversary Season and currently conducts the Chorale at Meetinghouse Church in Edina, Minnesota.

Paul is a fierce advocate for new music trends, resources, and issues. He is co-founder and CEO of “Consortio,” the online consortium building platform designed to help composers, conductors, and ensembles find common themes and interests for consortium-based commissioning while offering tools and services to make such commissioning more readily accessible and feasible.

Paul holds degrees from the Hartt School and the University of Oregon. His teachers have included Dr. Sharon Paul, Robert Kyr, and Dr. Edward Bolkovac.

GET TO KNOW PAUL

1. When did you know you wanted to sing professionally?

I sang nonstop ever since I was very little, and it all became a reality for me when I joined the American Boychoir for middle school. I knew I wanted to perform professionally even then!

2. If you could commission any composer for Cantus (alive or deceased), who would it be and why?

Hildegard von Bingen. It’s been nearly a millennium since she was alive and still we are finding out new information on how brilliant she was.

3. What country would you most like to visit as a member of Cantus?

I’d love to head to the Bulgaria with Cantus, if nothing else to collaborate with the Bulgarian State Television Female Vocal Choir. I’m such a huge fan!

4. If you stumbled across a time machine, which decade would you visit, and why?

I’d love to turn back time and head to the 1980’s. I’d imagine being 30 years older than when I was back then, I’d certainly appreciate the music, food, and clothing a bit more now!

5. What is your favorite hobby outside of singing?

It ranges, but lately it’s been designing tabletop games based on non-tabletop games from my childhood.

6. If you could hang out with any celebrity (alive or deceased) who would it be and why?

I’d love to sit down with the Punch Brothers and get to know their musical process. How do they work similar or differently than how we work in Cantus? And also, how the heck do you master an instrument like they have? They’re incredible!

7. What is the most played album on your Spotify?

“What Now” by Sylvan Esso. An incredible and fun manifesto on love and solid dance beats.

8. You’re stranded on an island – which three books or movies do you bring for entertainment?

Book: “Where the Heart Beats: John Case, Zen Buddhism, and the Inner Life of Artists” by Kay Larson
Movie: When Harry met Sally
TV Show: Bob’s Burgers

9. What do you want people to know about Cantus?

Cantus is a constantly-evolving ensemble attempting to dig deeper into human experiences with every program. No matter what, the music we choose to perform isn’t ever chosen just because it’s good music, but because it has a purpose in a larger conversation that we’re honored, lucky, and excited to be a part of with our audiences!

10. Share with us one of your greatest days ever.

My last year in my first chapter with Cantus included getting married to my best friend, Brittany, and on our wedding day, my colleagues and I sang an arrangement of A.R. Rahman’s Wedding Qawwali from the musical Bombay Dreams. It was the perfect blend of my various lives, and I couldn’t stop smiling.