Delta David Gier has been called a dynamic voice on the American music scene, recognized widely for his penetrating interpretations of the standard repertoire and his passionate commitment to new music. In summer 2000 he conducted the New York Philharmonic in what were described as “splendid performances . . . He found new ways to look at old repertoire in Stravinsky’s ballet suite from The Firebird (1945).” He came to national attention in 1997 while conducting a tour of Carmen for San Francisco Opera’s Western Opera Theater. For the past ten seasons Mr. Gier has been an assistant conductor for the New York Philharmonic, and has served in that role for the Metropolitan Opera as well. He has performed with many of the world's finest soloists, including Midori, Lang Lang and Sarah Chang.

Since the 2004-05 season Mr. Gier has held the post of Music Director of the South Dakota
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Delta David Gier

Symphony. During his first year the orchestra enjoyed great success with its series of concerts featuring works of Pulitzer Prize-winning composers, including a residency with Paul Moravec. This concept is continued and expanded during the present season with more works regularly featured on the orchestra's Masterworks series, in chamber repertoire and during a residency with Steven Stucky, including a lecture/demonstration/performance of his Second Concerto for Orchestra.

The release of his recording of Symphony No. 2 (42) by American composer Carson Kievman with the Polish National Radio Symphony on the New Albion label received acclaim from many quarters. “The kind of performance composers live for” was the Denver Post’s response, while Spoleto Today wrote, “It provides one of the most powerful musical experiences I have had in recent times.”

As a Fulbright Scholar (1988–90) Gier led critically acclaimed performances with
many orchestras of Eastern Europe. He was invited to the former Czechoslovakia to
conduct Dvorak’s Eighth Symphony in celebration of the 100th anniversary of its premiere. Gier took this opportunity to introduce Eastern European audiences to many American masterworks, such as Barber’s Violin Concerto with the Presidential Symphony of Ankara, and Copland’s Appalachian Spring with the Bucharest Philharmonic. “He possesses an innate sense of expression which stems naturally from an absolute artistic sincerity . . .” was how Mircea Cristescu, the Bucharest Philharmonic’s laureate conductor, characterized Gier’s direction.

Gier earned a Master of Music degree in conducting from The University of Michigan
under Gustav Meier. “He communicates a true and convincing interpretation to the audience” Meier observed, ”. . . and, above all, he brings the composer to the center of the stage.” As a student at Tanglewood and Aspen he studied also with Leonard Bernstein, Kurt Masur, Erich Leinsdorf, and Seiji Ozawa, and was later invited by Riccardo Muti to spend a year as an apprentice at the Philadelphia Orchestra. At the invitation of the American Symphony Orchestra League he participated in their National Conductor Preview, a highly selective showcase for young conductors.

Mr. Gier has been increasingly in demand as a teacher and conductor in many highly
regarded music schools. Within the last two years he has served as a visiting professor at the Yale School of Music, the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati, the San Francisco Conservatory and SUNY Stony Brook.