Daniel Cho is a Korean-American conductor and violinist, who proudly serves as the Associate Conductor of the Alabama Symphony and the Music Director of the Alabama Symphony Youth Orchestra. He has previously held positions as Assistant Conductor of the Eugene Symphony in Oregon and the Yakima Symphony in Washington state. In addition to his positions, Daniel has collaborated with orchestras around the United States, including with the Dallas Symphony, Nashville Symphony, and North Carolina Symphony.
Daniel began as a conductor at the age of sixteen when he was invited to be Assistant Conductor of the Napa Valley Youth Symphony, where he was also concertmaster. Since then, Daniel’s journey as a conductor and a musician has been guided by values stemming from his joyful curiosity for his craft, and his determined optimism for classical music’s future. Passionate about discovering new and bold works, Daniel attended the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music in 2023 as one of six Fellows, premiering music by classical music’s next generation of composers, and receiving instruction from acclaimed conductor Cristian Măcelaru. In 2021, he attended the Atlantic Music Festival as Conducting Fellow, working extensively with the Festival Orchestra and premiering fifteen new works over the course of four weeks with the festival’s Contemporary Ensemble.
A lover of collaboration, Daniel has received opportunities to work with other art forms and genres of music. In 2024, he made his debut with the Nashville Symphony, leading the orchestra in Nashville Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker. He also served as Conducting Fellow of Eugene Ballet from 2021-2023 and from 2019-2022, held the position of Assistant Conductor of Eugene Opera, assisting on productions of Puccini’s Tosca and Mozart’s Magic Flute.
Daniel holds a Master of Music degree in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Oregon School of Music and Dance, where he received the Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching. He also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Violin Performance from New England Conservatory in Boston, MA.