Paul Dupré may be one of the most original and promising composers of the early 21st century. He is also one of the most versatile and prolific, with over 130 completed scores, ranging from large orchestral works to chamber music and solo piano compositions. Orchestral works include concertos for violin, piano, guitar and clarinet, symphonic poems, dances, marches, sacred music, and an ever-increasing number of compositions that do not fit neatly into any of these categories. Current projects include a symphony, a cello concerto, and an opera.
Dupré's music is largely characterized by beautiful melodies and rich textures, and it stands out in sharp contrast to the dominant minimalism and atonal trends of recent decades. Although his style might thus sound vaguely similar to music composed during the Classical and Romantic eras, and clearly has been influenced by their advances in melodic development, harmony and counterpoint, emulating music of those periods is definitely not his intention, just as it is not his intention to emulate the styles of so-called "contemporary classical music" and popular music.
Dupré is fortunate to have grown up in a highly artistic family, his mother a highly regarded visual artist and an accomplished piano player, his father a skilled craftsman who also sang, and his sister talented in both the visual and performing arts. His early music education began with piano lessons taught by his mother from age seven. Music was heard and discussed on a daily basis. Dupré was already aware by the time he was a teenager that he wanted to do something truly creative, but it was not until well after completion of his academic studies that he finally realized both that he wanted to channel this creativity into composing and also that he actually might have the ability to do so.