William Paul MurphyArtist Affiliate: ViolaAssociate Principal Viola, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

Paul Murphy is the Associate Principal Viola with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, having held that position since 1986. Previously he held principal positions with the Minnesota Orchestra, the Kansas City Philharmonic, the Caracas (Venezuela) Philharmonic, and was a regular player with the St. Louis Symphony. He has also performed as Guest Principal for the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Murphy is a native of Pensacola, Florida, where he studied with the renowned Anna Tringas. He later graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Music where his principal teachers were David Cerone and Robert Vernon. During college, he also served as an assistant teacher at the prestigious Meadowmount  School of Music.

Mr. Murphy is an avid chamber music performer and has played extensively with the Emory Chamber Music Society, the Atlanta Chamber Players, the Georgian Chamber Players, and the Minneapolis Artists Ensemble. He has collaborated with such artists as Yo-Yo Ma, Sadao Harada, Robert McDuffie, Alan Gilbert, and Robert Spano. He can be heard in chamber music performances on the Innova, GM, Arundax, and ACA labels and is a featured performer on the short children’s film, “The Orchestra Gets Dressed”. Mr. Murphy has participated regularly in music festivals such as the Grand Teton Music Festival, the Wintergreen Music Festival, the Highlands Music Festival, and the Pensacola Chamber Music Festival.

On a different note, he has recorded extensively with the rock bands R.E.M. and Collective Soul and has also worked with Stone Temple Pilots, Indigo Girls, and Usher, Widespread Panic, and Outkast. He has soloed with the Atlanta Symphony in works by Mozart, Rorem, Bruch, and Freddy Mercury.

A dedicated teacher, Murphy has served as an Artist Affiliate at Emory University, a distinguished artist at the McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University, and also maintains a private studio.