Paul Connelly

Paul Connelly trained as a pianist at the New England Conservatory in Boston, then as an assistant conductor and vocal coach with Boston Opera, Santa Fe Opera and San Francisco Opera. He made his conducting debut at 24 with Houston Grand Opera on a national tour of Porgy and Bess, and later became music director of San Francisco Opera’s Affiliate Artists Program.

Mikhail Baryshnikov invited him to American Ballet Theatre as principal conductor. He has been a regular at the Vienna State Opera since a 1991 ballet gala, and has conducted the Paris Opera Ballet, The Royal Ballet, Dutch National Ballet and, at Riccardo Muti’s invitation, La Scala. The 2025 Paquita run captured on this site names him as conductor.