Pappal

A native of western Pennsylvania, composer Brian Pappal has had a wide-ranging journey through the world of music. He has been singing since he could walk, and began formal studies on the piano at age 4. By age 9, Brian was the accompanist for his school choir and began studying the trumpet. Further meanderings led him to study the euphonium, trombone, tuba, and organ, and to explore jazz and improvisational music. 

He received a B. M. in Music Performance from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh where he was a private voice student of soprano Claudia Pinza and studied trombone with Peter Sullivan and Murray Crewe of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. He has studied classical piano with David Allen Wehr, jazz piano with Alton Merrell, and organ with Richard Pinkerton.

As a performer, Brian is equally at home singing with a chamber choir, playing jazz piano with a trio in a club, collaborating with a chamber music ensemble on the stage of a concert hall, conducting an ensemble from the podium, or leading a church service from the organ console. He has composed for and collaborated in performance with members of many of the top orchestras in the United States, including the Pittsburgh Symphony, Boston Symphony, Seattle Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, and many more. 

His varied background as a vocalist and instrumentalist has given Brian a unique voice as a composer. He has written for a wide range of choral and instrumental groupings, and loves pairing meaningful melodic ideas with rich, deep harmonies.  

Brian is currently the Director of Music at Saint Andrews Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, NC where he is the organist and choir director. He frequently collaborates with the Carolina Ballet North Carolina Master Chorale, and North Carolina Theatre.