About Darwin
Dominican conductor and composer Darwin Aquino is one of the most internationally active Caribbean musical artists of his generation. Equally accomplished on the podium and as a composer, he has built a career spanning the Americas and Europe, shaped by artistic leadership, keen originality, and a commitment to Latin American culture. His work reflects a synthesis of folkloric traditions and contemporary expression, drawing inspiration from the rhythms, colors, and imagination of the Caribbean.
Aquino currently serves as Head of Music at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Music Director of the St. Louis Ballet Orchestra and the Musica Sacra Concert Series at Santo Domingo’s National Cathedral, and Conductor-in-Residence with the Washington University Symphony Orchestra. He served as Artistic and Music Director of the St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra from 2021 to 2026 and as Music Director of the Gateway Festival Orchestra from 2019 to 2024. Previously, he spent twelve years as Artistic and Music Director of El Sistema Dominican Republic and served as Director of the National Conservatory of Music, advancing orchestral training, artistic development, and community outreach...
Media
Member of the New Works Collective
Opera Theatre’s New Works Collective is a disruption of the traditional commissioning model: it gives decision-making power to the community through a collective of St. Louis residents.
Leading workshop of Tobias Picker’s new opera
Darwin was selected to conduct the second workshop of “Safe Haven”, a new opera by Tobias Picker and Aryeh Stollman. It is directed by our Opera Theater of Saint Louis’s artistic director Patricia Racette. It will premiere at OTSL during the 2027 Festival Season.
New Works Collective operas now free on-demand
Opera Theater of Saint Louis (OTSL) has launched a free on-demand streaming of all 2025 New Works Collective world premieres, presented in February 2025 and conducted by Darwin Aquino. Please register on OTSL's website to receive the link. The on-demand access will be...
Stephen Porter performs Darwin’s piano music
Acclaimed pianist Stephen Porter performs Subito Piano (2015) by Darwin Aquino in a recital organized by the Artist Presentation Society of St. Louis.
Christmas in Harmony | A Dominican Lyric Night
Featuring Dominican Artists: Soprano Natalie Peña-Comas and Conductor Darwin Aquino | December 7th, 2025 at 3:30 pm
Darwin discusses Mahler Symphony 1 on radio
Darwin Aquino and Kathy Lawton Brown talk about launching a year-round celebration for the St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra’s 165th anniversary with “It’s a Celebration” on October 17.