Daniel Meyer biography

As Music Director of the Erie Philharmonic, Artistic Director of the Westmoreland Symphony, Artistic Director of Cleveland’s BlueWater Chamber Orchestra, and Music Director of the Lakeside Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Meyer has reinvigorated orchestras with his innovative programs, engaging presence and keen musical intellect.

In addition to collaborating with worldrenowned soloists such as Sharon Isbin, Gil Shaham, Jeremy Denk, Daniil Trifonov, Midori, and Emanuel Ax, Meyer’s passion for connecting with audiences has led him to develop strong ties with the community though frequent radio and television appearances, press interviews, music talks, appearances in local schools, and speaking from the concert stage. In continuation of his longtime dedication to music education and community involvement, Meyer created Beethoven 4/4, a four-year project focusing on the life and works of the great composer with the Erie Philharmonic. He conducts new commissions this season including a violin concerto by Michael Torke, a trumpet concerto by Vivian Fung, and an overture by Zhou Tian.

Recent guest appearances include the Pittsburgh Symphony , West Virginia Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Portland Symphony, Symphony Silicon Valley, Württembergische Philharmonie, Staatsorchester Darmstadt, and the Nuremberg Symphony in Germany. He also recently recorded the music of Hanson, Diamond, and Daugherty for the Bavarian Radio with the Bamberger Symphoniker.

In his role as Director of Orchestral Activities at Duquesne University, he embarked on a recording project of the concertos of Lynn Purse and collaborates with pianist David Alan Wehr and bass-baritone Guenko Guechev.

Meyer’s eclectic and groundbreaking symphonic programs this season include works by American composers Norman Dello Joio, Howard Hanson, Alan Hovhaness, and Duke Ellington in combination with masterworks of Ravel, Shostakovich, and Stravinsky. Featured works include Shostakovich’s epic Symphony No. 5, Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2, and great vocal works including Fauré’s Requiem with BlueWater and the Cleveland Chamber Choir.

As part of his highly acclaimed tenure as Music Director of the Asheville Symphony, Meyer created the Asheville Amadeus Festival, featuring sold-out weeks of film, lectures, community events, and concerts centered around the music of Mozart and pianist Emmanuel Ax in 2015 and violinist Midori in 2017. In recent seasons Meyer has frequently conducted the Rochester Philharmonic and the Pittsburgh Symphony, as well as guest engagements with the Indianapolis, Columbus, Phoenix, Eugene, Alabama, and Knoxville Symphonies. His critically acclaimed European debut took place with the Staatstheater Stuttgart Orchestra and violinist Thomas Zehetmaier, and he returned to Germany soon after for concerts with the Neue Philharmonie Westfalen, and to Austria with the Tonkünstler Orchestra in Vienna and the Wiener Jeunesse Orchestra. Meyer’s summer festival appearances have included the Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom, the Aspen and Grand Teton Music Festivals, the Chautauqua Festival, Brevard Music Center, and Lakeside Chautauqua.

Photo credit: Kristi Hedberg