Dax Anthony Stokes, Conductor

09/04/2026

Get to know the DSO: Founding Music Director edition!

Dax Anthony Stokes, is an American orchestral conductor with more than two decades of experience leading orchestral, operatic, and large-scale ensemble performances across the United States and internationally. He has served as Music Director of the Chamber Orchestra of Denton and currently holds the post of Music Director of the St. Kassiani Chorale, while maintaining an active orchestral guest conducting schedule. Recently, he was awarded the First Grand Prize in the 2nd International Conducting Competition sponsored by the Capital Symphony Orchestra in Moscow, and recently competed in Phase 2 of the Orchestra’s Conductor Competition 2026 in Vratsa, Bulgaria.

Recent orchestral engagements include guest conducting appearances with the North Texas Symphony Orchestra, The Pops Orchestra of Bradenton and Sarasota, and the McHenry County College Wind Ensemble, in addition to his role as a Conducting Fellow with the University of North Texas Concert Orchestra. His work is marked by rehearsal efficiency, stylistic clarity, and a repertoire-driven approach that supports both artistic depth and audience engagement.

Dax’s musical background spans orchestral, operatic, and choral traditions, including international conducting experience in Russia, where he has led professional choirs in Moscow and participated in advanced conducting studies at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory. This breadth informs a podium style grounded in structural precision, vocal awareness, and long-range musical architecture.

He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Orchestral Conducting from the University of North Texas, where his principal teachers included Anshel Brusilow, Clay Couturiaux, and Stephen Dubberly. In addition to his conducting career, he is active as an educator and clinician, regularly invited to lead workshops and masterclasses throughout the United States.

Dax is an Endorsed artist, EAM Classical Artist Registry — Eva Artistic Management.

09/03/2026

Our first planned concert this fall features the rarely performed Symphony No. 1 by Sergei Rachmaninoff. Written when he was 22, the premiere was reviewed so poorly that Rachmaninoff stopped composing for 3 years. The score was lost until after his death, and has only been recorded a handful of times, but it has everything you know and love of Rachmaninoff. Support the orchestra today to help us put on this rare masterwork (donate link in the comments)!

08/14/2026

In my home office, I have two albums on the wall from two of my graduate school professors that helped shape how I interpret music. On the right, my signed copy of Brian Bowman’s “Sacred Euphonium,” which he gave to his students at his retirement party from UNT. This was one of the first euphonium recordings I ever heard, and Dr. Bowman’s lessons taught me many great things (it just took me a while to implement them 😉).

On the other side is the Philadelphia/Ormandy recording of “Ein Heldenleben,” with my conducting teacher, the late Anshel Brusilow, playing the violin solos. Not only is this my overall favorite recording of my favorite work, but in the few years that I observed and studied with Maestro Brusilow, we almost exclusively worked on interpretation.

I have one other important album in my collection, which I got out last night and listened to, and it’s a specific recording of Debussy piano works. My first conducting teacher, who was also my euphonium teacher in undergrad, W. Sande MacMorran, told me that this was the album that made him want to be a musician when he was young. So, of course I went out and bought it and I’ve had it ever since.

07/23/2026

Donate today!

🌟 Join us as we form Denton's first professional orchestra! 🌟At the Denton Symphony Orchestra, we know that quality music and arts performances can have a…

06/05/2026

The Denton Symphony Orchestra is a new non-profit, semi-professional orchestra in Denton, TX. Our mission is to enrich and educate the Denton and greater North Texas community through thoughtful, meaningful performances while upholding the region’s strong artistic tradition. We are currently looki...

06/03/2026

I’m very excited to finally announce this new endeavor. The Denton Symphony Orchestra will be a new professional ensemble in Denton, and we’ve planned two great performances for this upcoming season. Be sure to follow our page for all of the future updates.

Experience the vibrant sounds of the Denton Symphony Orchestra, bringing performances of live classical music and community spirit to every concert.

05/25/2026

Story time: I was probably about 11 or 12 when I first decided I wanted to be a conductor, but we have an issue here in the US where we don't let people study conducting until their 3rd year of college music school, if that. And you can't major in it until grad school, with very few exceptions. I had to create my own lessons in my undergrad just so I could go beyond the basic conducting class offered. It was definitely not going to be possible to study with anyone in high school back then.

Well, I've decided that I'd like to see that change, so I'm offering lessons this summer for anyone that would like to start to learn conducting. I'm especially interested in helping any high school students that think they might want to pursue a career in conducting. Lessons can be in person in DFW or online from anywhere in the world. Any type of ensemble background is fine. See the flyer below for more information, or follow the link in the comments to fill out an interest form.