Daniel Cho is a Korean American conductor who proudly serves as the Associate Conductor of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and the Music Director of the Alabama Symphony Youth Orchestra. The 2025/2026 season included two subscription weeks with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, a debut with the Alabama Ballet in their production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, and his conducting debut with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra in North Carolina. Daniel has previously held positions as Assistant Conductor of the Eugene Symphony in Oregon and the Yakima Symphony in Washington state, and has had engagements with some of the top orchestras in the United States, including the Dallas Symphony, Nashville Symphony, and North Carolina Symphony. 

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 music forms and genres of music. In 2024, he made his debut with the Nashville Symphony, leading the orchestra in Nashville Ballet’s production of Tchaikovsky’s 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. Daniel was also featured as a violinist on the 2025 release of the Grammy award-nominated blues band, The War and Treaty. 

When not making music, Daniel can be found walking along the Vulcan Trail, reading essay collections, and taking photographs of his two perfect cats.