Cheerful Suite - Tuba and Piano

Cheerful Suite is a light-hearted work for solo tuba and piano in five short movements. It received its premiere in 2013 in Ocala, FL, with the composer on tuba and Ryan Pagels on piano. The work begins with a brisk romp, followed by a stately modal march. Later a tender lullaby gives way to a racing flourish of excitement to conclude the work. It is the hope of the composer that Cheerful Suite will bring joy to both performers and audience members alike.

Paul Mullen has been composing music since 1999. He attended Stetson University in 2000 to study composition with Kari Juusela. While there, his composition for trombone choir, Epitaph, won 1st place in the SCI composers competition. He went on to earn his masters degree in music composition at the University of Missouri - Kansas City, studying with Jim Mobberley, Paul Rudy, and Chen Yi. Along with composing, he has been active as a tubaist, performing with the First Coast Wind Symphony in Jacksonville, FL, the Southern Winds in Deland, FL, and by frequently giving solo performances.