Paul French

For over four decades composer, conductor, organist, PAUL FRENCH has worked in parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Chicago, and since 2001 he has been the Director of Music at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church where he leads a thriving choral program of adult and children’s voices.

For over ten years he served as a faculty member of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians Choir Director Institutes. In July of 2024 he was awarded the prestigious NPM Pastoral Musician of the Year award. Mr. French was invited to create Fanfares and Alleluias for the papal visit of Pope Francis to the U. S. in 2015. Another of his works, Concertato on Grosser Gott, was performed for the papal visits of both Pope Francis (2015) and Pope Benedict XVI (2008).

Mr. French also serves as the President of the Board of Directors of the American Federation Pueri Cantores, (the student-choral organization of the Roman Catholic Church with Federations in nearly 35 countries worldwide), and is a member of their conducting roster, leading annual youth choral festivals in dioceses around the United States.

He served as Music Director of the William Ferris Chorale from 2005-2016, in that time establishing it on the professional choral scene as the premier ensemble for breathing life into works of lesser-known and living composers. His 2015 performances of the early 20th century Requiem Masses of Ildebrando Pizzetti and Bonventura Somma were hailed as one of the Top Ten Performances of the Year by the Chicago Classical Review, with critic Lawrence Johnson proclaiming. “French and his singers provided glowing and deeply felt advocacy to these beautiful, neglected works.” During his tenure with the Ferris Chorale, he released two discs with Cedille Records, Snowcarols: Christmas Music of William Ferris (2007), and American Choral Premieres (works of Alan Hovhaness, George Rochberg, Easley Blackwood, and others (2009).

Mr. French studied composition, conducting, chant and organ at St. John’s University, Northwestern University, the Pontificio Istituto di Musica Sacra in Rome, and privately with William Ferris. A composer of more than 200 instrumental and choral works, he was also the long-time Director of Choral Recordings for World Library Publications, for whom he was the editor of a series of choral works for children’s choirs, under the distinguished banner of the American Federation Pueri Cantores.

Mr. French’s published music is available through, MorningStar Music, Paraclete Press, Santa Barbara Music Publishing, World Library Publications, GIA Publications, CanticaNOVA Publications and Oregon Catholic Press.