His music is noted for its stylistic diversity, lyricism, distinctive orchestration, contrapuntal refinement and metaphoric allusions. He is an active composer whose works are widely and frequently performed, both nationally and internationally. He has been described as "a composer who has a personality of his own and the ability to express that personality within more than one musical idiom." His music has been described as "consistently compelling and often extraordinarily moving." In December of 2014, Western Illinois University's Opera Theatre Company presented the first performances of Paccione's opera "The World Is Round," based on the book by Gertrude Stein.