Daniel Kleinknecht is Artistic Director and Conductor of Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre. As founder of Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre, he has led the company in performances of major operatic repertoire, and under his leadership the company has received seven National Endowment for the Arts grants, and has established a nationally recognized Young Artist Program, now known as the Smith Young Artist Program. He has conducted the Long Bay Symphony, Evansville Chamber Orchestra, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, members of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Opera Illinois, Orchestra Iowa, Concerto Soloists of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Singers, the Fort Dodge Symphony, Hunter Symphony and Hunter Opera Theatre, New York Chamber Orchestra, and the Iowa City Community Orchestra, and several national tours of Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors. The Peoria Journal wrote, “with Kleinknecht at the podium, the sound was wonderfully hall-filling and alive with exceptional power and grace.” The Myrtle Beach Press said “what was most impressive was Kleinknecht…he controlled every aspect of the music.”