Role

:

Composer Conductor  

Birth

:

February 2, 1954 in Pittsburgh, PA

Genre

:

Chamber

 

Paul O'Dette is a renowned classical music artist who has made significant contributions to the world of early music. He was born on February 2, 1954, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. O'Dette grew up in a musical family, and his father was a jazz musician. He started playing the guitar at a young age and later became interested in the lute, which would become his primary instrument. O'Dette attended the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where he studied classical guitar and lute. He later continued his studies in Europe, where he worked with some of the most prominent early music specialists of the time, including Eugen Dombois and Hopkinson Smith. In 1976, O'Dette joined the faculty of the Eastman School of Music, where he taught lute and early music performance for over 30 years. During his tenure at Eastman, he also served as the director of the school's early music program. O'Dette's career as a performer began in the late 1970s, and he quickly gained recognition for his virtuosic lute playing. He has performed extensively throughout the world, both as a soloist and as a member of various ensembles. Some of the most notable groups he has worked with include the Boston Early Music Festival, the Consort of Musicke, and the King's Noyse. One of O'Dette's most significant contributions to the world of early music has been his work in reviving the music of John Dowland, a 16th-century English composer and lutenist. O'Dette has recorded several albums of Dowland's music, including "The Complete Lute Music of John Dowland," which was released in 1997 and received critical acclaim. In addition to his work as a performer, O'Dette is also a respected scholar of early music. He has published numerous articles and essays on the subject and has served as a consultant for various early music projects and recordings. O'Dette has received numerous awards and honors throughout his career. In 1997, he was awarded the prestigious Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Performance for his work on the album "Lully: Thésée." He has also been awarded the Noah Greenberg Award from the American Musicological Society and the Early Music America Award for Lifetime Achievement. In recent years, O'Dette has continued to perform and record extensively. He has released several albums of solo lute music, including "The Italian Ground" and "The Secret of the Muses." He has also collaborated with other musicians and ensembles, including the soprano Anne Sofie von Otter and the ensemble Tragicomedia. Overall, Paul O'Dette has made significant contributions to the world of early music as both a performer and a scholar. His virtuosic lute playing and his dedication to reviving the music of John Dowland have earned him a place among the most respected and influential early music artists of our time.

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