 |
         |
 |
|
 |
Damon Gupton
Assistant Conductor
A native of Detroit, Damon Gupton recently relocated to Kansas City, Mo. from New York City when he assumed the position of Assistant Conductor with the Kansas City Symphony for the 2006-2007 season. Gupton received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Michigan, then went on to earn his diploma from The Drama Division of the Juilliard School in New York. He studied conducting with David Zinman and Murry Sidlin at the Aspen Music Festival and with Leonard Slatkin at the National Conducting Institute in Washington, D.C. He served as American Conducting Fellow of the Houston Symphony for the 2004-2005 season, and has made conducting appearances with the Cleveland Orchestra (as part of a Blossom program with David Zinman), the Toledo Symphony, the New York University Orchestra, and the Orchestra of St. Luke's. Upcoming conducting appearances include the Kinhaven Music School in Weston, VT, and the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C.
As an actor, Gupton has had roles in television, film, and on stage, including the late Wendy Wasserstein's An American Daughter (Arena Stage), True History and Real Adventures (The Vineyard Theatre) and Treason (Perry Street Theatre). He starred opposite Tony award-winner Phylicia Rashad in the world premiere of Tracey Scott Wilson's critically acclaimed The Story at New York's Public Theater. He also performed the title role of Academy Award-winner Eric Simonson's Carter's Way at the Kansas City Repertory Theater in 2005. His television credits include Law and Order, Conviction, Third Watch, Hack and Drift (with Chazz Palminteri). He was a principal cast member of NBC/Dick Wolf's Deadline, NBC's pilot Finkleman (with Stephen Colbert of the Colbert Report). On film, he has appeared in the 2002 drama Unfaithful directed by Adrian Lyne, The Loretta Claiborne Story, Helen at Risk, and, most recently, finished shooting on Sidney Lumet's Before The Devil Knows You're Dead.
Gupton has been featured as narrator in many venues including The Cleveland Orchestra, The Memphis Symphony, The Aspen Academy Orchestra, and on the The Videmus recording Fare Ye Well.
Awards include the Robert J. Harth Conducting Prize and The Aspen Conducting Prize. Gupton is also the inaugural recipient of the Emerging Artist Award from the University of Michigan School of Music and Alumni Society.
Gupton was recently named co-winner of the Third Eduardo Mata International Conducting Competition, held in Mexico City. Eighteen competitors selected worldwide from more than one hundred applicants spent five days conducting challenging programs for a distinguished panel of judges. Part of Gupton's prize includes several conducting engagements in Mexico, Brazil, Columbia and other Latin American countries this season.
|
|
|
|
|
