Paul O'Dette

Biography

One of the most influential figures in his field, O’Dette has helped define the technical and stylistic standards to which 21st-century performers aspire. With more than 100 recordings to his name, O’Dette has been nominated for Gramophone magazine’s Record of the Year Award and has been recognized with multiple Grammy nominations including one for “The Bacheler’s Delight.” Each volume of his acclaimed series of John Dowland’s Complete Lute Works received the prestigious French Diapason d’Or, and the 5-CD boxed set received the Diapason d’Or Of The Year Award. His discography includes “Le Secret des Muses” (music of Nicolas Vallet) and ”The Royal Lewters” (music of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I’s favorite lutenists), which garnered a CHOC du Monde de la Musique, a Diapason d’Or and the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik.
In addition to his recordings, Paul O’Dette maintains an active international career as a continuo player, performing with today’s most respected conductors and ensembles. He is an avid researcher and has published numerous articles on issues of historical performance practice and co-authored the Dowland entry in the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Together with Stephen Stubbs, O’Dette is writing a book on Baroque vocal practice. He is currently Director of Early Music, Professor of Lute at the Eastman School of Music and is Artistic Director of the Boston Early Music Festival.