Our Musicians

Thomas A. Connely, music director and conductor of the Texas Chamber Music Project and Northeast Orchestra, earned his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science degrees in music education from the University of Illinois, Urbana, where he majored in trumpet and minored in strings. He taught orchestra and band classes to students from fourth grade through high school in the Moline, Illinois public schools, and was an adjunct professor of music at Black Hawk College, where he taught applied trumpet, jazz, classical guitar and Renaissance performance. He was a conducting tutor at the University of Illinois and a trumpet clinician at the university’s summer music programs.

As a performer Tom has worked with entertainers including Bobby Vinton, the Osmonds, George Kirby, Della Reese, Art Linkletter, Mahalia Jackson, Peggy Lee, Florence Henderson, the Red Skelton Band and the Les Elgart Band and has performed at various festivals and venues including Tanglewood Music Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, and Ely Cathedral (Cambridgeshire, England.)  Tom has been music director and conductor for various summer stock theater productions and has composed and arranged for the Miss Illinois Pageant, Tarrant County College, the Flutissimo! flute ensemble and the Northeast Orchestra.  Recently, Tom retired from his trumpet position with the Richardson Symphony and from Tarrant County College where he was an adjunct professor of music and conductor of the orchestra.

In addition to conducting TXCMP and NEO ensembles, Tom serves as a real estate investor, he has more than 20 years experience conducting seminars in motivation, communication, time management and personal finance to audiences nationwide.