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Dr. Melissa Pausina is a distinguished composer and educator whose works have been performed across the United States and Europe by elite ensembles. Her compositions have been championed by performers such as Cygnus Ensemble (New York, NY), the Momenta Quartet (New York, NY), Ensemble Surplus (Freiburg, Germany), Pascal Gallois (Paris, France), and the New Orleans Chamber Orchestra (New Orleans, LA).
In addition to her compositional practice, Dr. Pausina has a rich background in higher education having taught at Tulane University and Temple University. She currently brings her artistry into the classroom as an educator in the St.Tammany Parish Public School System where she integrates classical methodologies and S.T.E.A.M. principles to cultivate curiosity and creativity in young learners. Her dual commitment to artistic excellence and educational leadership reflects a belief that music is both an intellectual discipline and a catalyst for transformation.
Honors and Awards
• St.Tammany Parish School Board Superintendent Champion Award, Awardee
• American Composers Forum New Voices Competition, Awardee
• Philadelphia Philharmonic Poetry Project Competition, Awardee
• American Composers Forum Pascal Gallois Bassoon Composition Competition, Awardee
• Internationales Musikinstitut Darmstadt, Germany, Fellow
• Oregon Bach Festival Composers Symposium, Fellow
• Composers Conference at Wellesley College, Fellow
• Klein Award for Academic Achievement in Music, Tulane University, Awardee
• Dean Emeritus Helen Laird Tribute Award, Boyer College of music and Dance, Awardee
• The Newcomb College Institute, Fellow
Education
Doctor of Musical Arts, Music Composition – Temple University, Philadelphia, PA (2010)
Master of Arts, Music Composition – Tulane University, New Orleans, LA (2003)
Bachelor of Music, Music Composition – Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA (2000)
Master of Education, Educational Leadership – Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, LA (2025)