John Paul McGee
CONLEY, GA | AGE 41
REPERTOIRE
ROUND 1:
COLERIDGE TAYLOR PERKINSON: Toccata
BOBBY TIMMONS: Moanin'
FLORENCE PRICE: Fantasie Negre in G Minor
ROUND 2:
ALBERT HAY MALOTTE: Amazing Grace, arr. Melvin Jones as recorded by John Paul McGee
MARGARET BONDS: Spiritual Suite
SEMI-FINALS:
FLORENCE PRICE: Piano Sonata in E Minor
CONCERTO:
FLORENCE PRICE: Piano Concerto in One Movement
BIOGRAPHY:
Dr. John Paul McGee is Assistant Chair of Piano at Berklee College of Music and serves as Artist-In-Residence at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music Black Church Studies program and Simmons College of Kentucky. He holds degrees from Bethune-Cookman University, Liberty University, Emory University, Interdenominational Theological Center, and most recently earned a Master of Music in Music Education from Berklee College of Music.
Dr. McGee is the creator of “Gospejazzical,” a signature pianistic genre blending Gospel, Jazz, and Classical music into a sound that uplifts, inspires, and transcends stylistic boundaries. His doctoral dissertation, A Sound for Distressed Souls: Gospejazzical as an NTU Approach for Coping with the Vocational Stressors of the Black Pastor, explored the healing and restorative possibilities of music through the integration of Black sacred and classical traditions.
As a performer, McGee’s artistry bridges concert performance, improvisation, scholarship, and Black musical aesthetics. His repertoire and creative work regularly engage the intersections of Gospel, Jazz, and Classical traditions while centering the contributions of Black composers and pianistic traditions.
In 2022, McGee released Gospejazzical Volume 1 with the John Paul McGee Trio, reaching international audiences and charting on Jazz Weekly’s Top 100. In 2023, he joined the prestigious Yamaha Artist Services artist roster, an invitation-only distinction recognizing internationally respected and influential artists in their field.
