Biography

Gregory D. McDaniel is a passionate conductor and educator active in many different musical surroundings. 

  This past year, McDaniel finished his sixth and final season as Assistant Conductor for the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra and Associate Director of the Fort Bend Symphony Chorus. These organizations allowed him to conduct and assist in innovative concerts that covered classical masterworks and pop genres to a diverse community of various ages and backgrounds. Also, during this tenure, he was one of the persons responsible for creating the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra Chorus, which ended their first season in a monumental performance of Carmina Burana. 

 A successful choral educator, McDaniel has taught for over ten years across three districts, serving thousands of students to achieve excellence and life-long memories using the vehicle of music. Choirs and students under his direction have been involved in the Texas All-State ensembles, garnered Sweepstakes at UIL competitions, and won top regional and state solo and ensemble awards.

Understanding that the art of conducting is a lifelong craft, McDaniel has participated in various workshops and seminars.  This past summer, he had the opportunity to study and work with Robert Franz and the Boise Baroque Orchestra and with Mark Gibson at Cincinnati Conservatory of Music in their annual Opera Bootcamp. 

Past conducting opportunities and awards have included serving as the Conducting Fellow for the Allentown Symphony and Music Director Diane Wittry. He was awarded the runner-up for the Faber Habermann prize after participating in a workshop for the Henderson Symphony.  Lastly, while as an undergraduate student, he competed and received the First Place Award for the American Choral Directors Association Conducting Competition. 

After the experiences in the classroom as a learner and educator, McDaniel has noticed that there needs to be a more significant presence of repertoire, musicians, and conductors of underrepresented cultures in society. His life-long goal is to have a yearly music festival that meets this need by presenting masterclasses and concerts to diverse audiences across various cultures and ages.

A native of Houston, Texas, McDaniel received his Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from the University of Houston. He is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Orchestral Conducting studying with Professor David Itkin at the University of North Texas.