Obituary Record

Paul Vellucci
Died on 10/2/1990

Paul Vellucci, 85

A memorial service was held Friday, October 5, at Highland Park Presbyterian Church in Dallas, Texas for Paul Vellucci, 85 who died October 2, 1990 of heart disease at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas.

Paul Vellucci was born in Italy in 1905 and emigrated to the United States with his family when he was seven years old and settled in Providence, Rhode Island. He later became a United States citizen.

He served as director of the Hartford School of Music in Connecticut from 1937-1945 and then was accompanist for several leading singers. He joined the music faculty of Southern Methodist University in 1950 as professor of music, conductor of the university’s orchestra and director of its opera department. He was artistic director and conductor of the opera through 1958. He remained with SMU until his retirement in 1976.

He was a consultant to the Dallas Civic Opera, which was an outgrowth of his operatic work at SMU and to community opera groups. He produced 15 operas and numerous solo pianoforte recitals, symphony concerts and chamber music recitals during the 1950s.

He was also founding director of the Dallas Lyric Theater, which evolved into the Community Opera Guild with more than 100 singers, instrumentalists, designers and others. He frequently lectured and performed for cultural and civic organizations and he founded the Opera Preview Club, now the Fine Arts Previewers at SMU.

He was a member of Phi Mu Alpha and Pi Kappa Lambda honorary music fraternities; national, state and local music teachers associations; Texas Composers League and the American Association of University Professors.

He is survived by his wife, Lydia Vellucci of Dallas; daughters, Eloise Vellucci of Rockwall, Texas and Paula (Ms. John) O’Hanlon of Blair; brothers, Romeo Vellucci of Providence and Luigi Vellucci of Rutherford, New Jersey; a sister, Floria Bianchi of Providence; and six grandchildren, including Megan and Reed O’Hanlon of Blair.

Memorials may be directed to a scholarship fund in his name at Meadows School of the Arts.

~~~Obituaries courtesy of the Nebraska Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair, Nebraska Public Library~~~

Find a Grave Memorial #155388058

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