Daniel Alfred Wachs, M.M.

Conductor Daniel Alfred Wachs emerged on the international scene following his debut with the Mozarteum Orchestra of Salzburg, leading a world première by Toshio Hosokawa at the Grosses Festspielhaus. The Austrian press praised “Engaging, rhythmically inspired, precise in its execution, the “Mambo” was equal to a performance by Gustavo Dudamel and the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra!” Wachs has been entrusted with preparing orchestras from Valery Gergiev to Vladimir Spivakov, and has served as Assistant Conductor to Osmo Vänskä at the Minnesota Orchestra and at the National Orchestra of France under Kurt Masur. He has served as cover conductor for the Houston Symphony and the Rotterdam Philharmonic.

Wachs has guest conducted Orange County’s Pacific Symphony, the Auckland Philharmonia, the National Orchestra (as part of the National Conducting Institute), the Sarasota Orchestra, the Fort Worth Symphony, Sinfonia Gulf Coast, the Monterey Symphony, the Spartanburg Philharmonic, and is a frequent guest conductor at New York City Ballet at Lincoln Center. Wachs has also served as assistant conductor at the Cincinnati Opera and for the French première of Bernstein’s Candide at the Théâtre du Châtelet, a co-production with La Scala and the English National Opera, directed by Robert Carsen.

A pianist as well as a conductor (“Wachs proved a revelation, delivering a technically impeccable, emotionally powerful performance of two Mozart piano concertos and a pair of solo works…” – St. Paul Pioneer Press) Wachs was auditioned by Zubin Mehta at the age of eight and was a student of the late Enrique Barenboim. He subsequently pursued studies at the Zürich Academy as well as The Curtis Institute of Music and The Juilliard School. He has participated at such festivals at Aspen, Tanglewood and Verbier.

Committed to the cause of education, Wachs is one of the few conductors of his generation successfully balancing the busy demands of an academic and professional career. He leads the 41-year-old Orange County Youth Symphony Orchestra (“The performance was smashing thanks in no small part to the exceptionally well-practiced pre-professionals…” – LA Times) and is Music Director of the Chapman Chamber Orchestra, whose recording of “La Creation du Monde” was selected by the prestigious Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. Wachs and the Chapman Chamber Orchestra recently completed a survey of Mahler song cycles with baritone Vladimir Chernov.

Equally comfortable in the pit, Wachs has led Albert Herring, Cosi fan tutte, The Impressario, Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi, Amahl and the Night Visitors, acts from La Traviata and Die Fledermaus and operas by Pasatieri which were lauded by the composer himself. He has also accompanied tenor William Burden in recital.

Wachs is represented by William Reinert Associates, Inc.  More information on Daniel Alfred Wachs may be found at: www.danielalfredwachs.com