David Danzmayr
conductor
Described by The Herald as “extremely good, concise, clear, incisive and expressive” David Danzmayr is widely regarded as one of the most talented and exciting European conductors of his generation.
David is currently in his fourth and final season as Music Director of the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra in Chicago, where he was lauded regularly by both the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Classical Review for his programming of American composers as well as the quality of performances he and the orchestra achieved together.
Described by The Herald as “extremely good, concise, clear, incisive and expressive” David Danzmayr is widely regarded as one of the most talented and exciting European conductors of his generation.
David is currently in his fourth and final season as Music Director of the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra in Chicago, where he was lauded regularly by both the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Classical Review for his programming of American composers as well as the quality of performances he and the orchestra achieved together.
Upon leaving his position at the IPO, he will assume the position of Chief Conductor of the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra beginning with the 2016/17 season. As Chief Conductor Designate he will lead numerous concerts with the ZPO this season, including a concert at the Salzburg Festspielhaus on New Year’s Day, as well as a tour to Italy.
David is also in his third season as Music Director of the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra in Columbus as well as Artistic Advisor of the Breckenridge Music Festival.
David has won prizes at some of the world´s most prestigious conducting competitions including a 2nd prize at the International Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition and prizes at the International Malko Conducting Competition. For his extraordinary success he has been awarded the Bernhard Paumgartner Medal by the Internationale Stiftung Mozarteum.
Propelled by these early successes into a far reaching international career, Danzmayr has quickly become a sought after guest conductor for renowned orchestras around the globe, having worked with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Bamberg Symphony, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonieorchester Basel, Mozarteum Orchester, Chicago Civic Orchestra, Lousiana Philharmonic, Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Odense Symphony Orchestra, Salzburg Chamber Philharmonic, Bruckner Orchester Linz, Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna and the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra to name a few.
Future engagements will include debuts with the San Diego Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Slovene Philharmonic Orchestra as well as the Detroit Symphony and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.
David frequently appears in the major concert halls around the globe, such as the Musikverein and Konzerthaus in Vienna, Grosses Festspielhaus Salzburg, Usher Hall Edinburgh and the Symphony Hall in Chicago.
He has served as Assistant Conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, which he conducted in more than 70 concerts so far, performing in all the major Scottish concert halls and in the prestigious, Orkney based, St Magnus Festival. He has regularly been reinvited to the podium since then.
David Danzmayr received his musical training at the University Mozarteum in Salzburg where, after initially studying piano, he went on to study conducting in the class of Dennis Russell Davies. He finished his studies with the highest honours.
David was strongly influenced by Pierre Boulez and Claudio Abbado in his time as conducting stipendiate of the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra and by Leif Segerstam during his additional studies in the conducting class of the Sibelius Academy. Subsequently he gained significant experience as assistant to Neeme Järvi, Stephane Deneve, Carlos Kalmar, Sir Andrew Davies and Pierre Boulez.