Dr. Paul French received the Bachelor of Arts in Music from the University of California at Berkeley and Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Music from the University of Southern California. After teaching and singing in the Los Angeles area for twelve years, French joined the music faculty at Southern Oregon University in 1990, where he is currently Director of Choral/Vocal Studies and Artistic Director/Conductor for Southern Oregon Repertory Singers.

French has extensive experience as singer, conductor and teacher. Ensembles under his direction have performed to acclaim at prestigious six-state conventions such as the American Choral Directors Association Northwest Convention (1994, 2002), the American Guild of Organists Northwest Convention (1997) and the Oregon Music Educators National Conference (2002). In 2003, French made his National Public Radio debut with the Southern Oregon Repertory Singers performing on "West Coast Live" for an estimated one million households nationally and Internationally. In 2006, French conducted the west coast premiere of the Robert Levin completion of Mozart's great "Mass in c minor" and toured Mexico with the SOU Chamber Choir.

Operatic conducting credits include Carmen, La Boheme, La Traviata, and Cosi Fan Tutte, as well as numerous light operetta productions such as Die Fledermaus, Sweeney Todd, and Candide. French has conducted for Rogue Opera, Jefferson Baroque Orchestra, Northwest Bach Ensemble, Chelan Bach Festival, Rogue Music Theatre, and made his Rogue Valley Symphony Orchestra debut in a performance of Brahms' "Requiem" in Spring, 2002. He will be music Director for Rogue Opera's performances of Mozart's "Magic Flute" scheduled for May, 2007.

In demand as a clinician and adjudicator, French has adjudicated the Oregon Music Educators National Conference state voice and choir competitions many times, the Oregon National Association of Teachers of Singing competition, as well as MENC sponsored competitions in California and Alaska. He has conducted numerous Honor Choirs and regional All-State Choirs in California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Nevada; and served Artistic Director of the SOU/Britt Festival Vocal Arts Institute.

As a tenor soloist, French has performed a varied repertoire from Handel's Messiah, to Vaughan Williams' Mass in G for organizations such as Jefferson Baroque Orchestra and Northwest Bach Ensemble, and at music festivals such as the San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival and the Chelan Bach Festival.

An accomplished teacher, choral students of Dr. French are conducting throughout the United States and his voice students have consistently developed into accomplished singers, pursuing graduate degrees at some of the nation's leading institutions and winning prestigious voice competitions. French has been published by the Choral Journal; recorded for Oregon Catholic Press, Southern Oregon Repertory Singers, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival; and is a Past President of ACDA, Oregon.