About Paul Chambers

Paul Chambers is a percussionist and educator from Kingston, New York. He is an instructor of percussion, world music, and music theory at the State University of New York (SUNY) Ulster and SUNY New Paltz. He is also the front ensemble director of the New York State champion Arlington High School Marching Band and Winter Percussion Ensemble. He is principal percussionist of the Woodstock Symphony Orchestra and is in high demand throughout the Hudson Valley region, frequently appearing with other professional orchestras, musical theaters, and jazz ensembles. Other career highlights include performing with the International Marimba Orchestra at PASIC 2021. He also won a position to tour the United States with the inaugural Maraca2 World Percussion Group of 2016. He is an avid performer, researcher, and clinician of traditional African music, having studied multiple times in Ghana. In 2016, he was awarded a Fulbright grant to learn and document traditional music in South Africa. The resulting transcriptions and research are published in the academic journal, African Music. He holds a Master’s degree in percussion performance and a Bachelor’s degree in music education from SUNY Fredonia, in addition to an Associate’s degree in music from SUNY Ulster. In 2022, he became a certified personal trainer with the goal of using exercise to help fellow musicians naturally alleviate common pain and injuries while optimizing their playing.

Photo Credit: delconte