ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & CONDUCTOR

Sean Paul Mills is a native of Eureka, California and attended Humboldt State University, the University of Oregon (Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees), and the University of Iowa (Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Violoncello Performance and Pedagogy - with the cognate area of Orchestral Conducting). He studied cello with Horatio Edens, Dr. Robert Hladky, Terry King, and Charles Wendt, and conducting with Dr. Phillip Kates, Dr. Madeline Schatz, Marsha Mabrey, Dr. Royce Saltzman, and James Dixon. Sean Paul has also participated in workshops and festivals with Helmuth Rilling, Krzysztof Penderecki, Dr. Weston Noble, Gunther Schuller, and Dr. Donald Neuen.

 

Sean Paul has performed as cellist and conductor in California, Oregon, Arizona, Nevada, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Switzerland, France, Germany, and Austria as a member of the Humboldt Symphony, the Humboldt Chamber Players, the Oregon Mozart Players, the Oregon Bach Festival Orchestra, the Quad City Symphony, the Manzanita Piano Trio, the Oregon Coast Music Festival Orchestra, and other ensembles. He has also served on the faculties of Grinnell College, Kirkwood Community College, Coconino Community College, Chemeketa Community College, Oregon State University, and Ball State University. A Founder of the Flagstaff Light Opera Company (FLOC)[Flagstaff Musical Theatre], he has also served as Music Director & Conductor for the FLOC, the Coconino Community Orchestra, and the Coconino Chamber Orchestra, as the Director of Music at The Church of the Red Rocks, Music Director of the Verde Valley Sinfonietta, as the Artistic Director & Conductor of the Red Rock Community Chorale & Chamber Orchestra, and as Artistic Director & Conductor of the Salem Philharmonia Orchestra and Willamette Valley Symphony. Sean Paul is also an active member of the American String Teachers Association, League of American Orchestras, Conductors Guild, and College Orchestra Directors Association. Presently, he is the Director of Orchestral Activities at the University of St. Francis, the Artistic Director & Conductor of the Joliet Symphony Orchestra, and Artistic Director & Conductor of the Kankakee Valley Symphony Orchestra.

 

When not pursuing musical activities, Sean Paul trains in and teaches the traditional Japanese Karate-do styles of Shotokan and Shindo Jinen Ryu. He has served as the Chief Instructor & Technical Director for the Northern Arizona Karate Association (Japan Karatedo Ryobukai Flagstaff), Central Valley Shotokan Karate-do, Shin Gi Tai Shotokan Karate-do, and The Art of Karate (www.theartofkarate.com), maintaining active memberships in the Amateur Athletic Union National Karate Program, United States Traditional Karate Association, and the Japan Karatedo ShotoJukuKai (Shotokan Karatedo of Japan Federation). Additionally, he is also a certified Academic Life Coach through Coach Training EDU. 

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Sean Paul resides in Aurora, Illinois with his wife, Susana Rivera-Mills (President, Aurora University) and their English Cream Golden Retriever, Scout.

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For more information about Sean, please visit his personal website at www.seanpaulmills.com.

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