about paul Paul Bangser is an active guitarist and guitar teacher who lives in Bethesda, Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C., with his wife and two sons. He is the former Director of Guitar Studies at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, the D.C. area’s only arts-dedicated high school. Paul has been performing as a guitarist for over 25 years, and has a versatile record of performances in jazz, pop, classical and latin guitar styles. He has led his own jazz quintet on the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, performed on solo classical guitar at Strathmore Mansion’s tea room, and has performed on many occasions with D.C.’s exciting latin-jazz fusion group Trio Caliente. Paul’s own groups have also performed at local clubs, outdoor festivals, and other public and private events. Paul has performed as a duo with jazz singers and has also held the guitar chair for professional theater productions including Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar and Man of La Mancha. Starting on guitar at the age of 12, Paul moved to studies of jazz guitar and improvisation while in high school. He’s had training over the years from fantastic teachers and mentors, including early on as a member of a college big band led by Herb Pomeroy of the Berklee School of Music. While in college and graduate school in Boston, Paul studied jazz guitar and music theory privately with two Berklee faculty members, and on moving to Washington Paul spent several years studying with national recording artist Paul Bollenback. Paul’s private studies on classical guitar over the years have also allowed him to develop his technique and repertoire in that genre.