Adrian McDonnell

[1][2] A laureate conductor of the Yehudi Menuhin Foundation, McDonnell began his musical studies with the violin at the age of 8.

At 19 years old he was selected by competition for the position of apprentice conductor for the State of North Carolina, where he studied conducting with Sheldon Morgenstern and Peter Paul Fuchs, then with Richard Pittman at the New England Conservatory in Boston and with Pierre Dervaux in France.

Since 1990, McDonnell has been artistic director and conductor of the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris Orchestra.

With a vast general repertoire, McDonnell has directed numerous creations in the field of contemporary music, including Lukas Foss, Maximo Flügelman, Amhed Essyad, Kryštof Mařatka [fr], Jean-Michel Damase, Thierry Blondeau, Narcis Bonet, Henri-Jean Schubnel, John Moran, Olivier Penard, Yves Prin, Hélène Rasquier, Kasper T. Toeplitz, Larry Alan Smith...

In October 2007, McDonnell was awarded the Ordre des Palmes Académiques by the French government.