Paul Morelli

Dr. Paul Morelli serves as Assistant Professor of Trumpet at VSU and principal trumpet of the Valdosta Symphony. Dr. Morelli holds a DMA in Trumpet Performance (University of Memphis, 2015), an MM in Jazz and Studio Music (2011) and a BM in Jazz Composition and Arranging (2004). In a professional performing career since 2001, Paul has performed in symphony orchestras, jazz orchestras, jazz combos, brass quintets, rock bands, and as a soloist. He is the principal trumpet of the Panama City Symphony Orchestra, and performs regularly with other orchestras in the gulf coast area, including Sinfonia Gulf Coast and the Sinfonia of Northwest Florida. Panama City Symphony featured Dr. Morelli in a solo recital for the Symphony in the City program in January 2024. As a jazz performer, Paul has experience both as a soloist and lead player, and has performed with the Temptations, the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra as soloist, and as a regular with the Memphis Jazz Orchestra and New Memphis Hepcats.

Dr. Morelli comes to Valdosta State after seven years at Wallace Community College in Dothan, AL, where he was the director of the instrumental music. Besides being a trumpet performer, Dr. Morelli also has professional experience as a jazz arranger / transcriber / composer and as a woodwind doubler.