Milestones

2010s

2011: MIHO: JOURNEY TO THE MOUNTAIN, wins a Grammy for Best New Age Album

2010: MIHO: JOURNEY TO THE MOUNTAIN, A Celebration of I. M. Pei’s Miho Museum in the
Shigaraki Mountains of Japan is released

2000s

2008: CRESTONE wins a Grammy for Best New Age Album

2007: CRESTONE, A Celebration of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Great Sand Dunes, & San Luis Valley of Southern Colorado is released

2006: SILVER SOLSTICE wins a Grammy for Best New Age Album

2005: Paul and Chez celebrate the birth of their second daughter on Feb 3
–presents “Carnival for the Rainforest” with 20 Brazilian musicians for the “Light in Winter Festival” in Ithaca, NY
–performance in special event on edge of Great Rift Valley, in Laikipia wilderness, Kenya
–SILVER SOLSTICE, a 25 year anniversary album of the Winter Solstice celebrations is released

2004: Special performance at International BirdLife Conference in Durban South Africa
–Paul receives the Francis Hutchinson Medal from the Garden Club of America for National Work in Conservation
–visit to Borneo for Orangutan Preservation Society
–25th annual Winter Solstice celebration at New York’s Cathedral of St. John the Divine

2003: Paul plays solo concert in Glen Canyon, in side canyon named “Cathedral of the Desert”
–plays in Moscow and St. Petersburg with Dmitri Pokrovsky Ensemble, in celebration of the Ensembles’ 30th anniversary
–plays in Lebanon, at Beitiddine Festival, with Iraqi singer Kazem el Sahar
–Consort plays Red Sea Jazz Festival in Israel

2002: SOLSTICE GEMS, a 20-year retrospective CD of the Winter Solstice celebrations, is featured on National Public Radio
–Paul plays Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas
–Paul and Earth Band present “The World Tree” in the great barn at Shelburne Farms, Vermont

2001: JOURNEY WITH THE SUN is nominated for a Grammy in the Best World Music Album category
–Consort’s “Celebration of the Earth” with the Boston Pops featured on PBS’ “Evening at the Pops”
–Paul plays in the launching of the Earth Charter, in the great barn at Shelburne Farms, Vermont

2000: CELTIC SOLSTICE wins Grammy
–”Spirit of the City” award, from New York’s Cathedral of St. John the Divine
–JOURNEY WITH THE SUN, with new Earth Band, is released

1990s

1999: Paul produces epic celebration, “Altoona America,” with 250 performers, for his hometown’s sesquicentennial
–solo performance following talks by cosmologist Brian Swimme and cultural historian Thomas Berry in awards ceremony at Harvard University
–premiere of “World Tree” event at Bucknell University
–20th annual Winter Solstice Celebration at Cathedral

1998: BRAZILIAN DAYS, by Oscar Castro-Neves and Paul, is released
–Paul and Yo Yo Ma are featured in premiere of “Lulie the Iceberg” at Carnegie Hall

1997: the album PETE, by Pete Seeger, produced by Living Music, wins Grammy as Best Traditional Folk Album
–Paul’s first solo saxophone album released — CANYON LULLABY, recorded in the Grand Canyon

1996: Consort plays Earth Day in Zagreb
–Paul gives commencement address at Juniata College, is awarded Honorary Doctorate
–receives Governor’s Distinguished Arts Award from State of Pennsylvania
–on August 17, Paul and wife celebrate birth of daughter Keetu

1995: second Grammy, for PRAYER FOR THE WILD THINGS
–Paul solos after address by Dalai Lama on Mt.Yoash in Israel, during international nature conference
–Consort makes debut performance in London at St. James Piccadilly

1994: SPANISH ANGEL, recorded live during Consort’s tour in Spain, wins Grammy; Consort plays for 7,000 people in Negev Desert, in spring celebration of “Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel”
–first Summer Solstice Celebration at Cathedral in New York draws almost 1,000 to 4:30 a.m. performance

1993: Paul is featured soloist in Milton Nascimento’s “Missa dos Quilombos,” in plaza of cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, Spain

1992: Paul Winter and Brazilian guitarist Oscar Castro-Neves play 13 concerts during the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro

1991: Chez Liley and Paul are married in the meadow of their farm, by the dean, in the company of elephant, falcon, owl, the Dean of the Cathedral, Pe de Boi Samba Band, 600 friends and Paul Stookey singing “The Wedding Song”

1990: EARTH: VOICES OF A PLANET, celebrating 20th Anniversary of Earth Day, released by Living Music; Consort makes third tour of Japan, is invited to play at palace of Prince Takamado, cousin of the Emperor
–Dr. Roger Payne and Paul visit Japanese whaling cities, promoting the economics of “whale-watching” over “whale-killing”
–Paul organizes expedition, including author Peter Mathiessen, around Siberia’s Lake Baikal

1980s

1988: Consort plays Global Forum of Spiritual Leaders and Parliamentarians in Oxford, England
–EARTHBEAT, with the Dmitri Pokrovsky Singers, released, the first album of original music created by Americans and Russians together; the two groups tour 25 U.S. cities

1987: WHALES ALIVE produced with biologist Roger Payne and narrator Leonard Nimoy
–Payne, Nimoy and Winter go to Moscow to present “Star Trek IV” film and the story of whale songs

1986: CANYON album receives Paul’s first Grammy nomination

1985: Consort and Russian poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko tour U.S. together
–Paul featured in “Beyond War” satellite “space bridge” telecast, playing from San Francisco with chorus singing simultaneously from Moscow

1984: first of 13 trips to the Soviet Union
–CONCERT FOR THE EARTH recorded on World Environment Day in U.N. General Assembly
–Paul receives Award of Excellence from the United Nations Environment Programme along with Carl Sagan and David Attenborough

1983: SUN SINGER voted “jazz album of the year” by National Association of Independent Record Distributors

1982: Paul receives Joseph Wood Krutch Medal from Humane Society of the United States, in recognition of his encouraging through music “a deep sense of reverence and wonder for all animals”

1981: Consort premieres ecological/ecumenical mass, MISSA GAIA (Earth Mass) at Cathedral

1980: first river-rafting recording expedition in Grand Canyon
–debut concert in New York’s Cathedral of St. John the Divine, celebrating Vernal Equinox
–Living Music Records founded with CALLINGS: A CELEBRATION OF THE SEA AND ITS VOICES
–first Winter Solstice Celebration in Cathedral

1970s

1978: COMMON GROUND album released, featuring the voices of Whale,Wolf and Eagle
–Consort records live album,TURTLE ISLAND, with poet Gary Snyder

1977: Consort plays in Washington as part of inauguration celebration for Jimmy Carter
–Paul leads music-making whale-watching expedition in Baja California

1976: Living Music Foundation formed, committed “to exploring and implementing ways in which music can be used to enrich the lives of human beings, and awaken a spirit of involvement in the preservation of wildlife and the natural environments of the Earth”

1974: Paul produces “The Charles Ives Show” at the Ives’ home in Redding, Connecticut, in celebration of the composer’s 100th birthday
–Consort co-billed with new Miles Davis electric band at Village East, New York

1973: Paul plays to whales for first time, with Greenpeace Expedition in North Pacific
–newcomer Bruce Springsteen opens for Consort at “My Father’s Place” on Long Island

1972: ICARUS album released by Epic, described by its producer, Beatles’ mentor George Martin, as “the finest album I ever made”

1971: Consort opens for Procol Harum at Fillmore East in New York
–astronauts of Apollo XV take Consort’s ROAD album to the moon, naming two newly-discovered craters after the album’s songs “Icarus” and “Ghost Beads”

1970: ROAD album recorded live at Royce Hall, UCLA and the Eastman School of Music, produced by Phil Ramone

1960s

1969: Consort plays “rock” venue for first time, on bill with Spirit and Savoy Brown at Fillmore in San Francisco

1968: THE WINTER CONSORT, produced by Paul Stookey, released by A&M Records; Paul hears recordings of Humpback Whales
–Consort tours Israel as part of predominantly classical Israel Festival

1967: Paul Winter Consort founded; makes first recording, accompanying “The House Song,” on Peter, Paul and Mary’s ALBUM 1700

1965/66: returns to Brazil, living in Rio de Janeiro for 11 months
–records SOUND OF IPANEMA with Carlos Lyra, and RIO with Luiz Bonfa, Roberto Menescal, and the Tamba Trio

1964: Sextet co-billed with Peter, Paul and Mary in campaign concerts for Lyndon Johnson

1963: Paul subs for saxophonist Paul Desmond with Dave Brubeck Quartet in Virginia Beach concert
–Columbia releases JAZZ PREMIERE: WASHINGTON and NEW JAZZ ON CAMPUS

1962: Sextet makes six-month tour of 23 countries of Latin America for State Department
–success of the tour brings invitation from Jackie Kennedy to play at White House; Sextet’s concert in the East Room November 19 is first ever by a jazz group in the White House
–first Columbia album, JAZZ MEETS THE BOSSA NOVA becomes minor hit

1961: Paul Winter Sextet wins first prize in Intercollegiate Jazz Festival; judges are Dizzy Gillespie and legendary producer John Hammond, who signs Sextet to Columbia Records

1960: summer tour playing tenor sax with Ralph Flanagan Orchestra; autumn one-niters in mid-west with Les Elgart Band

Beginnings

1959: jazz-oriented octet plays 6 nights per week in officers’ clubs at Great Lakes Naval Base north of Chicago

1958: dance combo plays throughout Chicago area

1957: first composition, “Soliloquy in Jazz,” for solo sax and band, performed with Altoona High School Band in spring concert
– summer tour of mid-western state fairs, playing in pit orchestra with members of Ringling Brothers Circus Band
– enters Northwestern University, forms small dance band

1956: featured piano soloist, playing “Rhapsody in Blue,” in annual concert of Altoona High School Band

1955: “The Silver Liners” gets regular gig playing Saturday nights for “Co-ed Party” in gym at Altoona YMCA

1953: first dance band, “The Silver Liners” (named after theme song “Look for the Silver Lining”) debuts in assembly at Roosevelt Junior High School

1952: as 7th grader is featured as clarinet soloist in Altoona High School Band spring concert, playing “Dizzy Fingers”
1951: forms first group, “The Little German Band,” with clarinet, cornet, trombone and tuba, performing throughout the Greater Altoona Area, playing old German “oom-pah” music, telling jokes between songs

1948: gets first alto sax

1947: Paul and sister Diane begin performing as clarinet-piano duo, playing for local civic and church events in the greater Altoona area

1946: begins study of clarinet with teacher John Monti

1945: auditions for Baker School Orchestra in first grade; drum career cut short by conductor who complains that, “He plays where he shouldn’t” — starts piano lessons with Alma Leighty

1944: begins drum lessons with Freddie Tortell

1939: Paul Winter born in Altoona, Pennsylvania, into a musical family; grandfather Ferdinand Winter was bandmaster in Civil War, founded Winter Music Store in Altoona in 1880s, which continued under Paul’s uncle and father until 1946