David Commanday Named Music Director at Indiana’s Carmel Symphony

The Carmel Symphony Orchestra in Indiana has appointed David Commanday as music director, effective immediately, with an initial appointment that continues through the 2024-2025 season. He currently serves as artistic director and conductor of the Heartland Festival Orchestra in Illinois as well as director of Orchestral Activities and instructor of cello at Eastern Illinois University and music director of Youth Music Illinois. He was music director of the Peoria Symphony Orchestra for a decade, and served as music director of the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras. Early in his career, Commanday was music director of the Boston Ballet, and subsequent positions included assistant conductor of the San Diego Symphony and associate conductor of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. He has guest-conducted orchestras and ballet troupes throughout the U.S. and internationally. He has held faculty positions at Harvard University, Boston University, MIT, Virginia Commonwealth University, Montclair State University, and Eureka College. Commanday graduated from Harvard University, with studies in psychology, music, and languages, and played cello at Tanglewood, which led him toward conducting.