John Paulson

John W. Paulson (born March 6, 1948) is an American musician, composer, conductor, music educator, and entrepreneur.

Paulson was born on March 6, 1948, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, and a Master of Arts degree in Music Education from the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, New York.

Paulson worked as a music teacher (music theory, music history, 20th-century music, chamber music, and jazz) at various high schools in Minnesota for nine years—the last five of which were at Wayzata High School, Plymouth, Minnesota, where he directed the Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble and a Wind Octet dedicated to the music of Mozart. He also taught courses in Electronic Music Composition, Class Piano, and 20th Century Music, providing new entry points for high school students interested in music. 

From 1982 to 1990, Paulson was a board member of Springboard Software, Inc., which develops and produces various software products. In 1990, he founded MakeMusic Inc.—a software firm that provides software and systems for musicians. The Eden Prairie, Minnesota-based company produces such music-related products as SmartMusic, MusicXML, Garritan, and Finale for bands, orchestras, and vocal programs. He retired from MakeMusic in 2008.

Paulson has served on the advisory boards of several notable universities and conservatories. He worked on the President's Advisory Board with the Director of the School of Music at Carnegie Melon University to evaluate and make recommendations. At the University of Minnesota, he worked with the Director of the School of Music to evaluate the music education department graduate school offerings and make recommendations. Additionally, he has served as a member of the Kaufman Advisors Group at the Eastman School of Music.

Paulson is a board member of the National Association of Music Merchants, the Wenger Corporation, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the American Composers Forum. In 2002, he received the "Golden Clef Award" from Berklee College of Music, Boston, Massachusetts, in recognition of his lifetime commitment to music education.

Over the years, Paulson has collaborated with several world-renowned musicians, such as Wynton Marsalis, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra rhythm section: including Dan Nimmer (piano), Ali Jackson (drums), and Carlos Henriquez (bass), and Sir James Galway, among others. 

In his retirement, Paulson continues to be active as a composer, conductor, adjudicator, and clinician across the United States.

• Epinicion (1975)
• Heartland (2015)
• Irish
• Psalm (2004)
• Sentido (2014)
• Serenata (Paulson)
• Tango (2014)