David Danzmayr

‘an emotionally rewarding experience…Led by Danzmayr, the orchestra created the sensation of timelessness, … taking concertgoers to a heavenly dimension.’
Oregon ArtsWatch

David Danzmayr is in his fifth season as Music Director of the Oregon Symphony. His 2024/25 season culminated in a performance of Mahler’s Symphony No.3 described by Oregon ArtsWatch as ‘an emotionally rewarding experience…Led by Danzmayr, the orchestra created the sensation of timelessness, […] taking concertgoers to a heavenly dimension.’

Alongside his position in Oregon, Danzmayr also serves as Music Director of the innovative ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, comprised of musicians from all over the USA who are building exciting projects towards their upcoming 50^th anniversary season. He also works regularly with Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra with whom he previously served as Chief Conductor – highlights of his tenure included several European tours with concerts in Vienna Musikverein as well as Salzburg Festival Hall, where together they performed the prestigious New Year’s concert.

As a guest conductor, Danzmayr has worked extensively across North America, and recent and forthcoming engagements include Seattle, St Louis, Atlanta, Vancouver and Dallas symphonies, as well as the orchestras of Detroit, Baltimore, Houston and San Diego.

In Europe, relationships include City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Bamberger Symphoniker, Sinfonieorchester Basel, Mozarteum Orchester, Iceland Symphony Orchestra, and he has a regular relationship with Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen with whom he embarks on a summer festivals tour in 2026.

Working with soloists at the highest level, Danzmayr has enjoyed collaborations with Yefim Bronfman, Emanuel Ax, Sir Stephen Hough, Renee Fleming and Yo-Yo Ma. The 2025/26 season includes regular partners Joshua Bell, Joyce Yang, Colin Currie and Gil Shaham. In the same season, he will make the world premiere of a new Jazz piano concerto by David Schiff, commissioned by Oregon Symphony with pianist Darrell Grant.

Danzmayr received his musical training at the University Mozarteum in Salzburg where, after initially studying piano, he went on to study conducting in the class of Dennis Russell Davies and his first post was in Scotland, as Assistant Conductor to the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

At the beginning of his career, he was awarded prizes at some of the world’s most prestigious conducting competitions including at the International Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition and the International Malko Conducting Competition. In recognition of his success, he has been awarded the Bernhard Paumgartner Medal by the Internationale Stiftung Mozarteum.

Strauss: Also sprach Zarathustra // David Danzmayr // Music Academy of the West

“David Danzmayr drew notable shape and articulation from his players. That was immediately evident in the opening work on the program, the Suite No.1 from William Grant Still’s The American Scene […] One can only hope Danzmayr will share more sections of this worthy piece in the future.

The concert closed with Mozart’s ‘Haffner’ Symphony […] Danzmayr brought fire, vigor and articulation to the work, finding the kind of shape in phrases that brings such music to sparkling life. The daredevil speed of the finale flew like the wind, the players reminding us how vital the deep joy of music can be.”

Seen and Heard International, December 2025

“Under Danzmayr, the orchestra gave the overture a full-throated performance, with firm trumpet and horn calls, vigorous marches, folk-like passages for the woodwinds, and enthusiastic unisons from the entire ensemble.”

Classical Voice North America, January 2025

“Mahler’s Third Symphony … received a superb performance … Under the direction of Music Director David Danzmayr, a forest of musicians – maxing out every inch of the stage – played with incisive gusto.”

— Oregon ArtsWatch, June 2025