Paul W. Whear (1925-2021) was an American composer, music educator, double-bassist, and conductor.
He taught at Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio, as well as at Doane College in Crete, NE. Later he became a professor at Marshall University in Huntington, WV where he also was composer in residence and conductor of the Huntington Symphony Orchestra and the Huntington Chamber Orchestra.
Later he retired as emeritus composer and conductor and received an honorary doctorate at Marquette University. He also taught composition courses at the National Music Camp in Interlochen, MI.
He has appeared as a guest conductor in the U.S., Canada, Japan, Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. As a composer he won many prizes and distinctions, as well as a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and the ASCAP Award.
His works have been performed by leading orchestras, such as the London Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Philharmonic, Indianapolis Symphony, Rochester Civic Orchestra, Omaha Symphony, Lincoln Symphony, Charleston Symphony, the U.S. Navy Band, and the Band of the Coldstream Guards in London.
