Peter Paul Olejar

Peter Paul Olejar earned the AB degree at Duke University and the Master of Music degree at Yale University with further graduate studies at the University of Toronto Electronic Music Laboratory. He studied composition for two years with Pulitzer Prize winner Elliott Carter and theory with Pulitzer Prize winners Mel Powell (classical composer and Benny Goodman band member and arranger) and Quincy Porter. He studied conducting with Epic label recording artist Gustav Meier and trombone with Robert Nagel, leader of the New York Brass Ensemble, and with Keig Garvin, solo trombone with the U.S. Army band. He has written music for chamber orchestra, brass ensemble, string quartet, theater orchestra, symphony orchestra, large dance bands, chorus, children’s plays, children’s chorus, solo vocal music, carillon and organ.

In addition to his choral music, his publications include carillon pieces published both by American Carillon Music Editions and by the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America and played across the United States, Australia and France. His communion hymn “Now We Come before God’s Presence” is included in the Chalice Hymnal. He arranged the musical accompaniment for Danny Aiello’s singing in the Richard Dreyfuss feature film “Once Around.” He has directed pit orchestras for musical shows and has written orchestrations for the same. He has played piano in orchestras backing up Anita Bryant and for the Four Aces. His electronic compositions are listed in Repertoire International des Musiques Electroacustiques Nos 2/3. His choral music has been recorded by “The Atlanta Scared Chorale.”

His “Chaconne!” for organ premiered on the Flentrop organ in Duke Chapel by organist and composer David Arcus. He was selected to write the opening music for solo voices, choral voices and dance for the 1999 international meeting of the General Assembly of the Disciples of Christ, and text and music for the closing assembly of the 2000 Disciples of Christ Regional Assembly of North Carolina. His “Panegyrikos” was commissioned for the opening concert of the World Carillon Federation Congress 2000 and was later played at the inauguration of the new president of Duke University. He has been commissioned to write solo organ, choral pieces and hymns for special occasions at churches in Georgia, Maryland, Illinois, North Carolina, New York and Texas and has written many orchestrations for hire. Commissions include a composition for the 15^th anniversary of the carillon at Denver University in June, 2014 and one for the national conference of the Association of Disciple Musicians in July, 2014. His carillon piece “et inspiravit” was a winner in the competition for the 2014 Festival for the Arts in Perpignan, France and was played there to open the festival in April, 2014.

Mr. Olejar serves as Director of Music at St. Paul’s Christian Church, Raleigh NC. In four different years he served as the director of summer choral workshops at Christmount Retreat in Black Mountain, NC for choristers and choir directors from states across the eastern United States. He was on the planning council of the national Association of Disciple Musicians and on the board as an officer for the North Carolina Composers Alliance. He taught instrumental and choral music in public schools in Ohio. In addition to his musical activities, he was a Consulting Systems Engineer for the IBM Corporation.