Arizona Daily Star“Miller played the Enigma loud and bold and purposefully, bringing out the emotional intensity of every note and nuance. It was breathtaking.”
Chicago Tribune“From the opening notes, it’s clear that conductor Miller knows exactly what he’s doing, taking a more aggressive tempo in the dramatic opening pages than many listeners may be accustomed to. This is wholly in keeping with the inherent nature of Gershwin’s music, which often sounds as if it’s in a feverish rush. Rhythmic energy, after all, drives Gershwin’s art as much as anything else. To his credit, conductor Miller also brings forth the brassy Charleston dance rhythm that will pervade the rest of the concerto…Conductor Miller also pushes the orchestra to move relentlessly forward, the ensemble of young artists acquitting itself quite well despite considerable technical hurdles. Yet there’s also a grandeur to the orchestral sound in this movement and the others, as if Miller were saying the Concerto in F is more than just fodder for pops concerts. To hear this music via the plush sound reproduction capabilities of the 2020s, rather than its fuzzier counterpart of the 1940s, is to appreciate more fully what Gershwin created. Details of orchestration that are muted in other recordings glisten throughout this one.”
Albany Times Union“Miller conducts as if every phrase was the most important one in the music, his whole body and face becoming totally engaged as he dramatizes the musical lines.”
Sarasota Herald Tribune“Guest conductor David Alan Miller, a lifelong proponent of contemporary American composers, let the orchestra spill forth with awakening energy and sparkle…”
The Saratogian“The ASO returned after intermission to what seemed like an entirely different concert, offering perhaps the best-known of Beethoven’s works, Symphony No. 5: […] Maestro Miller was able to expose the textures of the music, and to pull to the forefront its expressions of urgency, expectation and peace.”
Grammy Award-winning conductor David Alan Miller has established a reputation as one of the leading American conductors of his generation. Music Director of the Albany Symphony since 1992, he now also serves as Artistic Advisor to the Sarasota Orchestra. Through exploration of unusual repertoire, educational programming, community outreach and recording initiatives, he has reaffirmed the Albany Symphony’s reputation as the nation’s leading champion of American symphonic music and one of its most innovative orchestras. He and the orchestra appeared twice at “Spring For Music,” the festival of America’s most creative orchestras at New York City’s Carnegie Hall, and in 2018 at the Kennedy Center’s “Shift Festival”. Other accolades include Columbia University’s 2003 Ditson Conductor’s Award, the oldest award honoring conductors for their commitment to American music, the 2001 ASCAP Morton Gould Award for Innovative Programming and, in 1999, ASCAP’s first-ever Leonard Bernstein Award for Outstanding Educational Programming.
Recent guest appearances include the Tucson and Hawaii Symphonies, Sacramento and Buffalo Philharmonics, the American Youth Symphony Orchestra, National Orchestral Institute, Vietnamese National Orchestra in Hanoi, Chicago Symphony at the Ravinia Festival, and Portugal’s Estoril Festival. Frequently in demand as a guest conductor, Mr. Miller has worked with most of America’s major orchestras, including the orchestras of Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and San Francisco, as well as the New World Symphony, the Boston Pops and the New York City Ballet. In addition, he has appeared frequently throughout Europe, Australia and the Far East as guest conductor. He made his first guest appearance with the BBC Scottish Symphony in March, 2014.
Mr. Miller received a Grammy Award in January, 2014 for his Naxos recording of John Corigliano’s “Conjurer,” with the Albany Symphony and Dame Evelyn Glennie. His extensive discography also includes recordings of the works of Todd Levin with the London Symphony Orchestra for Deutsche Grammophon, as well as music by Michael Daugherty, Kamran Ince, and Michael Torke for London/Decca, and of Christopher Rouse and Luis Tinoco for Naxos. His recordings with the Albany Symphony include discs devoted to the music of John Harbison, Aaron J. Kernis, Roy Harris, Morton Gould, Don Gillis, Peter Mennin, and Vincent Persichetti on the Albany Records label.
A native of Los Angeles, David Alan Miller holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley and a master’s degree in orchestral conducting from The Juilliard School.Prior to his appointment in Albany, Mr. Miller was Associate Conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. From 1982 to 1988, he was Music Director of the New York Youth Symphony, earning considerable acclaim for his work with that ensemble. Mr. Miller lives with his wife and three children in Slingerlands, New York.
DECEMBER 2022