Conductor Daniel Brier enjoys a multi-faceted career which comfortably spans symphony, opera, ballet, and live movies. He is currently the Music Director & Principal Conductor of Opera Wilmington. Recent and upcoming guest engagements include the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra, Toledo Symphony, Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, Lexington Philharmonic, Adrian Symphony, Whiting Park Symphony Orchestra, and St. Petersburg Chamber Philharmonic. He has collaborated with a diverse range of artists including Bobby McFerrin, Pablo Sainz Villegas, Rachel Barton Pine, Jennifer Frautschi, and more. As an opera conductor, he recently conducted productions of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Puccini’s La Bohéme, Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel, and Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro. As a movie conductor, he has conducted live to picture performances of the original Star Wars trilogy (A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, The Return of the Jedi), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, How to Train Your Dragon, Jaws, A Jungle Book, and more. Highlights of Mr. Brier’s 2022-23 season include a new production of La Traviata with Opera Wilmington, return engagements with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, and programs with the young musicians of the Hope College Orchestra and the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra.
A sought after educator, Mr. Brier is currently Visiting Assistant Professor of Music at Hope College. He previously taught at the University of Michigan String Preparatory Academy, Western Michigan University, Andrews University, Kalamazoo Kids In Tune, Orion Chamber Music Society, and more. During February 2022, he completed a residency at the Wheaton College Conservatory of Music teaching conducting and leading the symphony orchestra.
Mr. Brier served the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra as Interim Music Director (2017-18), Resident Conductor (2016-17, 2018-2022), and Assistant Conductor (2014-16). During his eight seasons with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, he conducted the orchestra in numerous programs including annual subscription masterworks, chamber orchestra, family, education, pops, holiday, movie, and summer parks concerts. Under his leadership, the orchestra diversified its programming, expanded its community partnerships, innovated new concert series, and reached young people with inspiring and imaginative education programming.
Past positions include founding Music Director of the Spectrum Orchestra, Assistant Conductor of the Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra, and conductor of the University of Michigan Orpheus Singers. In 2010, he was awarded a prize for his “exceptional conducting” during the St. Petersburg Chamber Philharmonic’s International Conducting Competition. Later, in 2012, he received an invitation to study with John Nelson at the Orchestre de chambre de Paris. Mr. Brier has conducted in masterclasses with Giancarlo Guerrero, Hugh Wolff, Jorma Panula, Alexander Polishchuk, Victor Yampolsky, Carl Topilow, and Ragnar Bohlin.
Mr. Brier received his musical training at the University of Michigan’s renowned conducting program earning degrees in orchestral conducting with Kenneth Kiesler and choral conducting with Dr. Jerry Blackstone. While at the University of Michigan, he served as an assistant conductor for the world premiere recording of Milhaud’s L’Orestie d'Eschyle conducted by Kenneth Kiesler. Recorded live on Naxos, the album earned a GRAMMY® nomination in 2015. He is a recipient of the Julian and Vera McIntosh scholarship for promising young musicians and conductors, the Dr. Charlene Archibeque scholarship for choral conductors, and the Dorothy Greenwald scholarship.
Updated October 2022
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