Paul Christ

Conductor and Arts Manager in Australia

Paul Christ studied at London’s Royal College of Music and continued his conducting training in Vienna with opera maestro Jacques Delacôte. A finalist in the London Philharmonic Orchestra Conducting Competition, he has since worked across the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, leading ensembles such as the Bournemouth Symphony, London Philharmonic, Danish National Radio Orchestra, Royal Ballet Sinfonia (Birmingham), London Arts Orchestra, and Opera Australia Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House.

From 2011 to 2016, he was Principal Conductor of the Orchester der Vereinigten Bühnen Wien, and in 2021–22 was engaged by New Zealand Opera and the Royal New Zealand Ballet. Alongside his symphonic work, Paul has served as Music Director for landmark original West End productions including Les Misérables, Miss Saigon (including the 10th Anniversary Concert), The Producers (with Nathan Lane), Mary Poppins, and The King & I with Elaine Paige at the London Palladium. He also conducted the original UK tour of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and was Music Supervisor for its international premieres in Johannesburg, Seoul, Buenos Aires, and São Paulo.

Further theatre credits include Elisabeth (Austria, China, Germany), The Visit, Legally Blonde, Love Never Dies (Vienna), Miss Saigon (UK Tour), Beauty and the Beast (Sydney), and The Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables (UK Tours/West End).

In 2024, Paul served as Music Director for Opera Australia and GWB Entertainment’s new production of Sunset Boulevard starring Sarah Brightman in Melbourne and Sydney, for which he received a Green Room Award nomination.

Paul is currently the General Manager at Darwin Symphony Orchestra.

  • Education
    • Royal College of Music, London
Testimonials
In this new Opera Australia and GWB Entertainment production, Andrew Lloyd Webber's theatrical score is deftly and beautifully handled by musical director Paul Christ and the Opera Australia orchestra
Time Out
Musical director Paul Christ has created pure magic with the music in this production of Sunset Boulevard. You could not find a more impeccable orchestra in Australia or a more perfectly executed score. The music swells at all the right moments and often ends up being the real star of the show. As supremely talented as the cast are, they are often out-done by the music
Theatre Travels
The icing on the cake was the pleasure of hearing Lloyd Webber's stunning score performed in superb Cinerama sound by the Opera Australia orchestra, musically directed by Paul Christ. Indeed, many of the audience sat on in the theatre following the thunderous finale ovations to luxuriate in the generous play-out music
Arts Review AU
The Opera Australia Orchestra, under the skilled guidance of Paul Christ was superb, and the enlarged orchestral pit of the Joan Sutherland Theatre means the glorious sound is captivating
J Wire
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