Paul R. Hanson

Pianist Paul Hanson has provided private piano instruction at the University of Richmond since 1998, also frequently serving as one of the department’s Chamber Ensembles coaches. He holds degrees from Washington State University, the University of Southern California and University of Oregon, and has studied with Daniel Pollack, Leonard Stein, and Victor Steinhardt.

A concert pianist and acclaimed for his “dexterous authority” (Los Angeles Times), “relentless tension and drama” (The Virginian-Pilot), the San Antonio Express-News wrote, “Hanson’s tender singing line, intelligent phrasing and total magisterial command made this a distinguished performance.”
 
A noted interpreter of contemporary music, his solo repertoire includes the complete music of Schoenberg, repertoire of Ives, Stockhausen, Boulez, Ligeti and Carter, and numerous chamber performances include the works of Mario Davidovsky, Joan Tower, David Froom, William Bolcom, Ann Callaway, Lukas Foss, Michael Torke, Morton Feldman, Pierre Boulez, Ned Rorem, George Crumb, Robert Stewart, Stephan Prock, Benjamin Broening, Richard Danielpour, Oliver Knussen, and John Adams. Dr. Hanson has served as Assistant to the Archivist of the Arnold Schoenberg Institute, and is currently on the music faculty at the University of Richmond. During the 2008-2009 season, he gave several performances of Elliott Carter’s Night Fantasies in honor of the composer’s centennial, and recently was a guest artist and faculty member at New England Conservatory’s Summer Institute for Contemporary Performance Practice.