Professor of Music Emeritus, Duke University, Dr. Paul Bryan, served as a professor of music and conductor of the Duke Wind Symphony for 37 years, (1951-1988). He served as the President of NCBA (1953-1954). He received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 1956. Dr. Bryan was a conductor and head of theory instruction at the Brevard Music Center during the summers of 1949-1957.

Dr. Bryan was responsible for commissions that produced more than 25 compositions of serious music for the concert band including Symphony No. 3 (1958) by Vittorio Giannini and Variants on a Medieval Tune (1963) by Norman Dello Joio. He also collaborated with Charles Gallagher to transcribe a modern day scoring for wind band of Hector Berlioz' Overture to "Beatrice & Benedict." Dr. Bryan's essay, "The Wind Band in and around New York ca. 1830-1950," was published in the Donald Hunsberger Wind Library by Alfred Press (2007). Dr. Bryan contributed to Percy Grainger, The Pictorial Biography by Robert Simon, (White Plains, 1987) He also has articles published int he CBDNA Journal of Band Research. A former student, Robert Trevarthen collaborated with Dr. Bryan to write a book about Dr. Bryan's career, PB - Who Is He? (Paul Bryan, Teacher, Not-Your-Usual Band Conductor, Musicologist, and Human Being).

Dr. Bryan conducted numerous workshops and clinics at universities, colleges, and high schools in the U.S., Canada, and Austria. He was recognized as an Outstanding Conductor by School Musician Magazine and by Phi Beta Mu Honorary Music Fraternity. Inducted into the American Bandmasters Association in 1965, he served as chairman of the ABA Research Center Committee, 1994-2005, and as a member of the editorial board of the ABA Journal of Band Research. Dr. Bryan served as a mentor to many band directors in North Carolina throughout the second half of the twentieth century. Several are current members of the NCBA Hall of Fame.

Photo by Jim Wallace