Biography
About David
Dr. David Michael Galant is currently the Director of Orchestra at the Eastern Kentucky University School of Music. His duties include conducting the Eastern Kentucky University Symphony Orchestra, Musical Theatre Pit Orchestra, Opera Orchestra, and teaching both undergraduate and graduate conducting.
Dr. Galant was previously an Assistant Professor of Music at Creighton University where he was appointed the Music Director of both the University Symphony Orchestra and University Chamber Ensemble. His other duties at Creighton University included teaching Conducting, Music History, Ear Training and Sight-Singing, and Musical Theatre Lab. Dr. Galant graduated from the Glenn Korff School of Music at University of Nebraska-Lincoln with high honors while earning a Doctor of Musical Arts and a Master of Music degree in Orchestral Conducting.
Dr. Galant was previously the Music Director and Conductor of the Kanesville Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra recently partnered with the non-profit organization Pottawattamie Arts, Culture & Entertainment (PACE) where they are performing concerts out of the newly constructed Hoff Family Arts and Culture Center.
Dr. Galant is in great demand as a conductor and has previously been invited to conduct at the Dohnányi Conducting Academy in Hungary, the International Institute for Conductors in Bulgaria, the Prague Summer Nights Young Artists Festival in the Czech Republic, the Miami Music Festival in Florida, the Wintergreen Summer Music Festival in Virginia, and the International Conductors Workshop and Competition in Georgia. Dr. Galant was a finalist in the Serbian Lányi Conducting Competition and during COVID participated in the Princess Astrid International Music Competition, Only Stage International Conducting Competition, Antal Doráti International Conducting Competition, Hans von Bülow Conducting Competition, and Philadelphia International Music Festival.
Dr. Galant is known to be an energetic and passionate conductor on the podium and enjoys guest conducting internationally having worked with the Charleston Symphony, Vidin State Philharmonic Orchestra, Dohnányi Orchestra, Klassische Philharmonie, Czech Philharmonic, Prague Symphony, Boulder Chamber Orchestra, and Holland Symphony.
Dr. Galant has conducted highly acclaimed productions of Suor Angelica, Carmen, The Magic Flute, The Tender Land, Helen and Elixir of Love at the Mary Ellen Orr Auditorium at John Wood Community College while the conductor of the Muddy River Opera Company in Quincy, Illinois. Dr. Galant maintains an active role in making opera productions accessible to the community and was Assistant Conductor with Winter Opera St. Louis in their reputable productions of Die Fledermaus at the Skip Viragh Center for the Arts at Chaminade.
Dr. Galant is an accomplished Music Director for musical theatre productions in the Mid-west and has conducted productions of Seussical, Into the Woods, Princess Diana, Next to Normal, The Secret Garden, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Highest Yellow, Mamma Mia!, My Fair Lady, Catch Me If You Can, Chess, and Sweeney Todd with respected theatres like the Lincoln Community Playhouse, TADA Theatre, OmniArts Nebraska, Chanticleer Community Theatre, and the Papillion-La Vista Community Theatre.
Dr. Galant was also previously the Music Director and Conductor for the Papillion Area Community Singers (PAC Singers) an organization where adults can express their talent and their enjoyment of choral singing for the benefit of the community.
While a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Dr. Galant was Music Director and one of the founders of the UNL Campus Orchestra, instructed the Beginning Conducting Course, and conducted the newly formed Advanced and Intermediate Opera Scenes Course. Dr. Galant was also instrumental to UNL Opera productions acting as the Assistant Conductor for Don Giovanni, Les Contes d'Hoffmann, Little Women, Don Pasquale, Così fan tutte, The Cask of Amontillado, and Far From Heaven.
Dr. Galant relishes every opportunity to teach and earned a Bachelor of Music Education and Single Subject Teaching Credential at the Bob Cole Conservatory and College of Education at California State University, Long Beach. While earning his Bachelors degree Dr. Galant was Music Director for both the Chamber and Symphony Orchestra at his alma mater El-Toro High School.
Dr. Galant is adamant about giving back to the community in service and previously was Music Director of the Nebraska Christian Men’s Chorus during his time residing in Lincoln, Nebraska. He was also previously the Music Director of the St. James United Methodist Chancel Choir in Bellevue, Nebraska where he assisted in vocal and spiritual direction. In his spare time he enjoys reading and playing soccer.
Dr. Galant has studied under some of the most prominent conductors in the world. They include Keith Lockhart (Boston Pops Orchestra), Manfred Honek (Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra), Semyon Bychkov (Royal Academy of Music), Gerard Schwarz (Seattle Symphony), Victor Yampolsky (Northwestern University), David Effron (Indiana University), Neil Varon (Eastman School of Music), Edward Polochick (Lincoln Symphony Orchestra), Thomas Wilkins (Omaha Symphony Orchestra), Mark Gibson (Cincinnati School of Music), Ken Lam (Charleston Symphony), James Burton (Metropolitan Opera House), Frieder Bernius (Klassische Philharmonie of Stuttgart), Gábor Hollerung (Dohnányi Orchestra), and Robert Gutter (Philharmonia of Greensboro).
“He pushes the envelope.”
— 90.7 KVNO, Omaha
