Paul Burnell (born 1960, Ystrad-Rhondda, South Wales) is a composer and musician based in London, UK. Having studied music at Dartington College of Arts, Exeter University and Royal Holloway College, he took a ten-year break from music, returning to concentrate on composition in the 1990s. He has received many commissions from festivals, Summer Schools, ensembles and professional musicians in the UK and abroad, including: the finale of the Bath International Music Festival; Inchcholm New Music Ensemble with a tour of performances in Scotland and the Czech Republic; CoMA, with performances by many of the associated ensembles and a feature of his works at the Summer School; a series of percussion pieces for Chris Brannick; a harpsichord piece performed by Jane Chapman; trios for the Stanesby Players and for the The Duruflé Trio; a trumpet quartet for Bella Tromba; vocal pieces for Sara Stowe, and many other pieces for a variety of instruments, including choir, string orchestra, piano (and toy piano), recorder orchestra, contemporary chamber groups of varying combinations and spoken word pieces. Paul enjoys writing pieces and experimenting with unusual combinations and instruments and often makes use of electronics and backing tracks. Some of his techniques can be found on his recorded albums such as ‘Leaving the Party on Pluto’, ‘Good to Go’, ‘Sticking with Childish Things’, ‘Face Each Aged Ache’, ‘Cabbage Heads’, ‘Accompanied Readings' Vols. 1 & 2’, 'Griff Said Ruff', 'Reflections on a Haunted House'. in 2016 'Four Minutes - Four Daydreams' was recorded by the London Sinfonietta for an album of CoMA 'Open Score' pieces on the NMC label and James Bacon recorded the album 'It May Have Been: The Piano Works of Paul Burnell'. The choral piece 'A Birthday' was chosen as the winner in the Leatherhead Choral Society composition competition and was performed in July 2018. Also in July 2018 the harpist Irantzu Agirre Arrizubieta premiered 'Robot Picking Blackb'ries'. In 2019 premieres were given by Hannah Cresswell (flute) & Constance Chow (piano), Jordan Wright Murray (percussion) and the CoMA East Midlands Ensemble. CoMA Singers premiered 'December Air' and 'So (Not) To Speak in 2022, and in 2023 the album 'So (Not) To Speak' was released.