Our Conductor
Paul Little serves as the assistant conductor of the Island Symphony, and is the current Music Director and conductor of the West Islip Symphony Orchestra, a position he has held since 2018, after appearing as a guest conductor of the West Islip Symphony since 2013.
A conducting student of Timothy Topolewski, Mr. Little graduated from the Crane School of Music in 2003 with a Bachelor’s Degree in music education. He received a Master's Degree in Music Technology from Five Towns College in 2007. In addition to his studies with Dr.Topolewski, Mr. Little's activities at Crane were varied and diverse - as a violinist studying under Ioan Harea, he was one of the original members of El Norte Tropicale, the school's Latin Jazz ensemble. Mr. Little also performed with the Crane Symphony Orchestra at the 2000 Goodwill Games Opening Ceremonies and with the Crane Handbell Choir at Crane Christmas Convocations. In his career, he has performed alongside electric violinist Mark Wood, as well as with such acts as Joe Piscopo, Linda Eder, Bruce Hornsby, and Edwin McCain.
Mr. Little is the current concertmaster of the Island Symphony Orchestra and Northport Symphony Orchestra. He has also previously served as concertmaster of the Massapequa Philharmonic Orchestra and West Islip Symphony. Additionally, he has played in the North Shore Symphony, the Nassau Pops Symphony Orchestra, and the Dowling College and Five Towns College Symphony Orchestras.
As as conductor, Paul regularly appears at the Community Church of Great Neck and Mineola's Edge City Church. In 2008, he appeared as a guest conductor of the Valley Stream Central High School District's All-District orchestra. In 2020, Mr. Little conducted the NMEA All County String Orchestra. A highly sought after musician, he has also performed in, directed, been the technical advisor of, and conducted the music ensemble of, over 40 musical theater productions throughout Long Island.
Mr. Little is the Vice President of the Legato Foundation, a music non-profit dedicated to curating, developing, and promoting classical music on Long Island. The organization has hosted multiple house concerts and recitals throughout Long Island since 2016. Legato has also been instrumental in the creation of the Long Island Guitar Orchestra, the Long Island Guitar Project, and the 2019 Legato Foundation Guitar Summit, becoming a major driving force of the Long Island classical guitar world.
Mr. Little is the recipient of the 2015 Town of Islip Black History Distinguished Service Award. He is currently a private teacher of violin, viola, and cello, which he has done for over 15 years. He previously taught orchestra and music theory in the North Babylon and Valley Stream Central School Districts. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the West Islip Symphony and Island Symphony, and is the current President of the Northport Symphony Orchestra.
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