From 1957-2000, Dr. Paul Traver taught at the University of Maryland and established the Maryland Chorus as a leading university choral arts program in the United States. The chorus earned an international reputation through performances of standard oratorio and symphonic-choral repertoire in world renowned concert halls under leading conductors and performed before several dignitaries, including U.S. presidents and sovereigns of foreign nations.
Dr. Traver was a founding member of the American Handel Society and artistic director of the Maryland Handel Festival. All of the English oratorios of George Frederic Handel were performed over 20 years in the order of their first performances and in their original form.
Dr. Traver was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Mu Alpha Fraternities and received honors from several professional associations, including Sigma Alpha Iota, Omicron Delta Kappa, and Phi Kappa Phi. In 1985, he was named Distinguished Scholar-Teacher and later was the first awardee of the Chancellor’s Medal, which is the highest honor the campus bestows.
In 20011, the Traver family, along with former students and colleagues, endowed the Paul Traver Memorial Scholarship to support graduate students in the conducting program for either choral or orchestral performance.