Paul Mekailian

Paul Mekailian is an L.A.-based composer, pianist, and percussionist, as well as a full time student of music at UCLA. Paul was born in San Diego, California, but spent the majority of his childhood in the United Arab Emirates from the ages of five to twelve. This aspect of his life played a significant role in the creation and style of his compositions. Upon his family’s return to the United States, Paul began to find his own musical voice. Throughout his early teenage years, Paul taught himself piano, and began composing short melodies on his own. By his mid-teens, he began composing more elaborate pieces and eventually shifted his interest from percussion to classical composition. In his teenage years, he was the recipient of the National Young Arts Honorable Mention Award and Merit Winner in Classical Composition, as well as the Next Notes American Composers Forum Honorable Mention Award two years in a row. ​ Paul is now entering his fourth year as a music composition major at UCLA. He has since scored for multiple student films and video games and works part-time as an assistant to TV/Film composer Chris Wirsig. He plans to pursue a career in film scoring.