The music never
stopped. I just listened longer.

After a decade of silence, Maestro Paul Anthony McRae returns to the podium with a renewed vision for outstanding orchestral excellence.

Conductor portrait

A return to the podium

For over two decades, Paul Anthony McRae led some of the world's most prestigious orchestras, earning acclaim for his interpretive depth and passion. His performances were described as "transcendent" and "utterly transformative."

In 2014, at the height of his career, he stepped away from the spotlight. Not from exhaustion, but from his desire to rediscover what first drew him to music...the silence between the notes, and the moment of anticipation before the baton rises.

Now, after a decade of reflection, intense studies, and enthusiastic renewal, Maestro Paul Anthony McRae returns to the podium with a deep personal desire and profound new appreciation of orchestral music.

American Record Guide

Edward Vroon, Chief Editor

The English Chamber Orchestra

“A real surprise: superlative conducting and utterly beautiful sound – it’s hard to imagine a more perfect Pulcinella Suite.

Long life to the conductor and many happy recordings!”

Chicago Tribune

D. Andries

Lake Forest Symphony – All French Program

"He led his skilled musicians through the murky waters of the French repertoire with the precision of a sea captain who knew the shipping channels and wasn’t going to put his crew in danger for a minute."

Miami Herald

James Roos

Flordia Philharmonic - "Beethoven Fifth"

"You heard it in the authority of the Faure, in the sculpted frame in which he set the concerto and in his surging performance of the Beethoven Fifth, which brought down the house. It was a stirring performance in the big classic style."

Los Angeles Times

Susan Bliss

'McRae Conducts a Triumphant Messiah'

“Paul Anthony McRae’s conducting of the combined forces of the Pacific Symphony and the Pacific Chorale in Handel’s “Messiah” proved an eminently balanced and frequently moving performance at the Orange County Performing Arts Center on Saturday.

McRae established the quality of his leadership with the first strains of the overture – clean and energetic, crisp and compelling. Throughout the entire oratorio, he drew ever-polished, dramatically attentive readings from the musicians.