Season 2024-25
Conductor
- Artistic & Music Director, St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra
- Head of Music, Opera Theater of Saint Louis
- Guest Conductor, Interlochen Center for the Arts
- Guest Conductor, Opera Southwest
- Conducting Debut, National Symphony Orchestra of Panama
- Conductor, New Works Collective Opera Theater of St. Louis
- Conductor-in-Residence, Washington University
- Guest Conductor, World Chess Hall of Fame Music Series
Composer
- Commissioned Composer, Lux Nova Duo – “Dialogues V” Festival – Hamburg & Berlin, Germany (“Vom Imaginatio Folkloricus 3.5″ for Guitar, Piano Accordion & Chamber Ensemble)
- Commissioned Composer, Arizona State University Clarinet Studio (“Responsabilidad” for Bass Clarinet)
- Commissioned Composer, Laurel Zucker & Christine Gangelhoff (“Dos Danzas” for Flutes)
- Guest Composer, Latin American Music Festival, Venezuela (“Responsabilidad” for Bass Clarinet)
- Guest Composer, New Music Miami Festival (“En el Mejor Momento de mi Vida” for Solo Violoncello)
- Guest Composer, Caribbean Composers Forum, Online (“Aee Mama Si Ee” for Solo Percussion)
- Guest Composer, Ritmos y Raíces: Celebrating Latin American Music (“Perfume” for Mezzosoprano and Piano)
About Darwin
Known for his charismatic energy and musical versatility, Dominican conductor and composer Darwin Aquino has built a fast-rising career across the United States, Europe, and Latin America. Recognized for his smart and stylish conducting, Darwin regularly leads critically acclaimed performances of symphonic music, opera, operetta, ballet, new music, choral works, and Latin American music, worldwide….
Upcoming Schedule 2024/2025
2024
- World Premiere “Responsabilidad: A Paraphrased Merengue” for Bass Clarinet at Arizona State University / Commissioned Composer
April 21 - St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra / Artistic & Music Director
April 24-26 - Opera Theater of Saint Louis Festival Season / Cover Conductor
April 28 – June 29 - Interlochen Center for the Arts / Guest Conductor Interlochen Philharmonic Orchestra
June 29 – July 14 - National Symphony Orchestra of Panama / Guest Conductor
July 16 – 26 - St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra / Artistic & Music Director
July 31 – August 2 - World Premiere “Dos Danzas” for 2 Flutes at the National Flute Convention, San Antonio, Texas / Commissioned Composer
August 1-4 - Opera Theater of Saint Louis New Works Collective / Conductor
Sept. 9-11 - (Re)Discovering Julia Perry / Chamber Project St. Louis
Sept. 26 – 28 - St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra / Artistic & Music Director
Oct. 2 – 4 - Guest Composer – Ritmos y Raíces: Celebrating Latin American Music / “Perfume” for mezzosoprano and piano
Oct 13 – Rider University, New Jersey, USA - World Premiere – Festival “Dialogues V”, Hamburg, Germany. “Vom Imaginatio Folkloricus 3.5” commissioned by the Lux Nova Duo
Oct 17 – Instituto Cervantes - Latin American Premiere – Festival Latinoamericano de Musica, Caracas, Venezuela. “Responsabilidad: A Paraphrased Merengue” for Bass Clarinet solo
Oct 24 – Centro de Acción Social por la Música - Washington University Symphony Orchestra / Conductor-in-Residence
Nov. 3 - World Premiere – Festival “Dialogues V”, Hamburg, Germany. “Vom Imaginatio Folkloricus 3.5” commissioned by the Lux Nova Duo
Nov 9 – Resonanzraum - World Premiere – Festival “Dialogues V”, Hamburg, Germany. “Vom Imaginatio Folkloricus 3.5” commissioned by the Lux Nova Duo
Nov 13 – Philharmonie Berlin - St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra / Artistic & Music Director
Nov. 13-15 - Opera Theater of Saint Louis New Works Collective / Conductor
November 18-21 - World Premiere – Festival “Dialogues V”, Madrid, Spain. “Vom Imaginatio Folkloricus 3.5” commissioned by the Lux Nova Duo
Dec 2 – Nuevo Teatro Alcalá - St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra / Artistic & Music Director
Dec. 4-6
2025
- Opera Theater of Saint Louis New Works Collective / Conductor
January 25 – Feb. 8 -
New Music Miami Festival / Guest Composer“En el Mejor Momento de Mi Vida” for solo celloFebruary 5 – Jewish Museum of Florida
- St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra / Artistic & Music Director
Feb. 19-21 - Washington University Symphony Orchestra / Conductor-in-Residence
Feb. 23 - Opera Southwest / L. Boccherinni “Clementina”
March 17 – April 13 - Washington University Symphony Orchestra / Conductor-in-Residence
April 22 - St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra / Artistic & Music Director
April 22-25 - Opera Theater of St. Louis / Head of Music & Cover Conductor
Ricky Ian Gordon’s “This House” / B. Britten’s “A Midsummer’s Night Dream” / “Center Stage”
April 27 – June 29
Reviews
Gallery
Media
Radio talk on Viva Rachmaninoff
St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra Music Director Darwin Aquino and pianist Brian Woods talk with Kathy Lawton Brown about “Viva Rachmaninoff” (Friday, April 25, 2025). This concert features Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3, performed by Woods.
St. Louis Philarmonic Orchestra closes season with Rachmaninoff, other romantic composers
Conducting the philharmonic is artistic and musical director Darwin Aquino. Known for his work as a composer and champion of contemporary music, he currently serves as conductor for the New Works Collective with Opera Theatre of St. Louis.
Missouri Arts Council selects Darwin as Featured Artist
Since we founded our Missouri Featured Artists Program in 2020, we have highlighted more than 200 imaginative makers from throughout the state. We’ve brought you painters, pencil artists, sculptors, dancers, singers, instrumental musicians, poets, novelists, filmmakers, ceramicists, jewelry artists, glass artists, and many more who create in myriad other ways. You’ll find them all in the ever-growing gallery below our current highlighted quartet.
Darwin leads the USA Premiere of L. Boccherinni’s “Doña Clementina”
Experience love, honor, and Spanish flair in Luigi Boccherini’s opera Doña Clementina, making its American debut. Follow the captivating journey of a courageous young woman navigating passion, loyalty, and the trials of family honor, all set to stirring melodies and sung en español. Soprano Teresa Castillo returns to make her official Opera Southwest debut in the title role.
Darwin’s recent accomplishments in Dominican Newspaper (in Spanish)
The Dominican conductor, composer and violinist has forged his career by fusing the African and Hispanic roots of the Caribbean with his classical training…
From the Conductor’s Podium of the New Works Collective
It has been an absolute pleasure and rewarding experience to be part of OTSL’s New Works Collective (NWC). I have had the privilege of witnessing the development of this unique commissioning project since day one and how it is making such a big impact, at all levels, in the world of new opera…