Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra Names Caleb Thompson as Assistant Conductor

The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance has appointed Caleb Thompson as Assistant Conductor. Thompson joins the organization ahead of the 2026–2027 Season.

An accomplished conductor and educator, Thompson has led performances with orchestras and opera companies across the country, including the University of North Texas Opera Theater, the University of North Texas Symphony Orchestra, the University of Pennsylvania Symphony Orchestra, the New Jersey Chamber Orchestra, and the Westchester Chamber Soloists. He most recently served as Music Director of the Philharmonia Youth Orchestra of Bucks County and Assistant Conductor of the Young Musicians Debut Orchestra at the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra Music Institute. In 2024, Thompson won the International Conductors Workshop and Competition and has also served on the faculty of the Philadelphia International Music Festival. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from Cairn University and a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from the University of North Texas.

As Assistant Conductor, Thompson will serve as the primary cover conductor for the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, working closely with Music & Artistic Director Keitaro Harada and the organization's artistic leadership. He will conduct and host performances throughout the season—including Learning and Community Engagement concerts—while serving as an artistic resource for rehearsals and performances. His scheduled appearances include:

Young People's Concert

Learning
Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at 11:30am

Handel's Messiah
Special Event
Wednesday, December 16, 2026, at 7:30pm

The Nutcracker

Dayton Ballet
Friday, December 18, 2026, at 7:30pm
Saturday, December 19, 2026, at 2:30pm and 7:30pm
Sunday, December 20, 2026, at 2:30pm

Magic Carpet Concert

Learning
Tuesday, February 16, 2027, at 11:30am
Wednesday, February 17, 2027, at 11:30am
Thursday, February 18, 2027, at 11:30am

Young People's Concert

Learning
Wednesday, April 28, 2027, at 11:30am

Regarding his appointment, Thompson comments:

As a high school student growing up in youth orchestra, I developed a love for orchestral music and an addiction for the in-the-moment collaboration between musicians that playing in orchestra embodies. When Maestro Harada became my youth orchestra conductor, I was inspired by the way he utilized that collaborative spirit to produce wonderful music. For me, working with Maestro Harada again is a full-circle opportunity.

When I entered college, I wouldn't have considered myself any particular fan of ballet and opera, but that changed quickly. By the end of my undergraduate career, I was applying for vocal performance graduate programs to explore opera further, and I applied multiple times to a conducting fellowship for the local ballet. The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance will allow me to explore both art forms with innovators in the field, and I couldn't be more excited to learn from their experience.

Lastly, I'm so looking forward to interacting with a new community of music-lovers in the Dayton area. One of the things I frequently tell myself before performances is: a performance is merely musicians sharing our musical personality with others, and somehow that becomes truly profound. To that end, I'm more than ready to share my musical offering with Dayton community.”