Paolo Petrocelli

Paolo Petrocelli (born 1984) is an Italian cultural manager and academic. He is the Head of Dubai Opera.

Early life and education Petrocelli was born in Rome in 1984. He studied violin performance at the Conservatorio Santa Cecilia and musicology at Sapienza University. In 2011–12 he was a visiting fellow at Yale University, studying the manuscripts of composer William Walton.

He received his PhD in cultural economics in 2018 from IULM University of Milan. He also completed an Executive MBA at SDA Bocconi School of Management. and served as Cultural Diplomacy Officer for the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates. and co-founded Opera for Peace, "the largest global platform supporting young opera professionals". Beginning in 2015 he was Assistant to the Superintendent at the Rome Opera House. He also served as an advisor at Royal Opera House Muscat. In this role, he was the first director of the Stauffer Center for Strings, which opened 1 October 2021 in the restored Palazzo Stauffer.

In 2023, Petrocelli was appointed Head of the Dubai Opera. In his first year the opera had over 250,000 attendees, a record for the company. His tenure has been marked by the expansion of artistic programming, community engagement, and international partnerships. Under his direction, the Dubai Opera presented the United Arab Emirates premieres of the La Scala Theatre Orchestra and the Rome Opera Ballet, as well as productions like Grease and Wicked. According to Arabian Business, "his leadership is characterised by a blend of cultural enrichment and community engagement, positioning Dubai Opera as a central hub for artistic excellence and social cohesion". Fellow, Salzburg Global Seminar Young Global Leader, World Economic Forum, 2023 Arabian Business 30 Under 40, 2024 Fast Company Middle East's Most Creative People in Business, 2024 Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, 2024 Arabian Business Dubai 100, 2025

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