Steven Paxton (b. 1951) is a freelance musician, composer, and conductor based in San Marcos, Texas. He is the former chair of the Contemporary Music Program at Santa Fe University of Art and Design/College of Santa Fe, and previously taught composition and music theory at Texas Tech University. He is the past director of the Los Alamos Choral Society in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Long active in musical theater as well as concert music, he has been musical director for productions of Santa Fe Performing Arts and Santa Fe Playhouse, accordionist for Santa Fe Opera productions of Wozzeck and Vanessa, and Composer-in-Residence for the Nebraska Shakespeare Festival. His opera Bellini’s War was premiered at Texas Tech University in 2001. Paxton earned a Ph.D. in Fine Arts from Texas Tech University in 1981, and holds Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in music composition from the University of North Texas.