artistic director
david commanday
*visit davidcommanday.com
*email David dcommanday@heartlandfestivalorchestra.org
*visit davidcommanday.com
*email David dcommanday@heartlandfestivalorchestra.org
It gives me great pleasure to salute the creation of the Heartland Festival Orchestra and to acknowledge with gratitude my designation as its founding Artistic Director and Conductor. To me, this represents an opportunity to make music with my longtime friends and colleagues, the finest players of the region, and to thank this wonderful community of music lovers who have demonstrated such loyalty and support...
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David Commanday has become known for dynamic performances, innovative programming, and an appealing connection with audience and community. He has been Artistic Director of the New Jersey Youth Symphony since the Spring of 2009, and is the founding Artistic Director and Conductor of the Heartland Festival Orchestra in Illinois, (which made its debut in the 09-10 season). In addition he remains active as guest conductor, appearing regularly with Joffrey Ballet of Chicago.
He has conducted orchestras around the world, including the National Symphony, Israel Philharmonic, American Symphony, Louisville Orchestra, Belgian Radio Orchestra, Vienna Pro Arte Orchestra, and the Seattle, Atlanta, and Richmond Symphonies. He was Music Director of the Peoria Symphony Orchestra for ten years, and is credited for bringing the PSO to "a high-point in its 109-year history".
Commanday started piano lessons at the age of six, and took up the cello soon after. He graduated cum laude at Harvard University, studying psychology, music and languages. He played cello under the direction of Leonard Bernstein, Seiji Ozawa, and Aaron Copland, and their influence led him toward conducting. At the Vienna Hochschule fuer Musik he earned the Austrian Staatsdiplom with highest honors in orchestral conducting. His early posts included; Music Director, Boston Ballet, Assistant Conductor, San Diego Symphony, and Music Director of the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras (BYSO).
Commanday brought BYSO to the forefront, earning three ASCAP awards for programming and unprecedented critical acclaim for concerts and CD recordings. Commanday commissioned and led the BYSO world premiere of the Double Concerto by Ivan Tcherepnin, with soloists Lynn Chang and Yo-Yo Ma. The performance earned the prestigious Grawemeyer Award for the work.
He served as Associate Conductor of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, conducting throughout the Garden State and appearing in the Gala Opening of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.
Commanday has held faculty positions and conducted at Harvard University, Boston University, MIT, and Virginia Commonwealth University. He is active as teaching and conducting clinician, conducting All-State and regional student orchestras around the country.
David Commanday continues to play and perform as cellist, appearing with such artists as Yo-Yo Ma, Bobby McFerrin, and Antonio Pompa-Baldi. His recent guest-conducting schedule includes the South Carolina Philharmonic, Flagstaff Symphony, Eastern Connecticut Symphony, and Ballet West (Salt Lake City, UT).
www.davidcommanday.com