We are delighted to welcome Paul McCusker as the guest conductor for our upcoming Summer Concert!  

Having completed his PhD in molecular parasitology in 2014, Paul worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the School of Biological Sciences at QUB before leaving in 2017 to study conducting at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland with Garry Walker and Alasdair Mitchell.  There, he won the Hugh S Roberton prize for orchestral conducting, participated in a workshop with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and conducted the Red Note Ensemble in concert.  In 2018 he won the panel and orchestra prizes at the Feis Ceoil Conducting Competition with the RTE Concert Orchestra, which led to a concert performance with the orchestra. 

Paul has subsequently conducted the Ulster Orchestra, Ulster Youth Orchestra and Esker Festival Orchestra as well as founding/directing Laganside Sinfonia, a Belfast based charity orchestra that has raised around £20,000 for local charities since its establishment.  While working as a postdoctoral researcher at the Medical College of Wisconsin, USA (2018 – 2020), he established an orchestra before returning to QUB in 2020.

Paul is also a regular player in our first violin section and we are looking forward to working under his direction over the next few weeks! 

To read Paul's full biography, head to our Conductors page.