Danzmayr has won prizes at some of the world ́s most prestigious conducting competitions, including at the International Gustav Mahler Conducting Competition and the International Malko Conducting Competition. He was also awarded the Bernhard Paumgartner Medal by the Internationale Stiftung Mozarteum, and was a finalist in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s First International Sir Georg Solti Conducting Competition, where he was judged by a panel including longtime Oregon Symphony Music Director James DePreist.
Danzmayr was strongly influenced by Pierre Boulez and Claudio Abbado in his time as conducting stipendiate of the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra and by Leif Segerstam during his additional studies at the Sibelius Academy. Subsequently, he gained significant experience as assistant to Oregon Symphony Music Director Laureate Carlos Kalmar, Neeme Järvi, Stéphane Denève, Sir Andrew Davies, and Pierre Boulez, who entrusted Danzmayr with the preparatory rehearsals for his own music.
Propelled by these early successes into a far-reaching international career, Danzmayr has quickly become a sought-after guest conductor for orchestras around the globe, having worked with orchestras in Bamberg, Detroit, Edinburgh, Hamburg, Iceland, Odense, Salzburg, Stuttgart, Vienna, and Wales. Due in part to his particular expertise in the music of Schubert, he has formed a special connection with the prestigious Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. He has also served as Assistant Conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, which he conducted in more than 70 concerts.
Danzmayr’s past positions have also included Music Director of the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra in Chicago, where he was lauded regularly by both the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Classical Review. Most recently, he has served as Music Director of the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra and Chief Conductor of the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, where he was the first to hold this title in seven years.
Danzmayr holds a strong belief that each composer’s musical expression is shaped by their personal environment, family heritage, and culture. This belief will guide his work at the Oregon Symphony, including the formation of a new Creative Alliance of cultural thought-leaders and musical innovators – each one bringing their unique perspective to the stage and to the Oregon and Southwest Washington community. Collectively, this continuing and evolving coalition of artists will inspire and challenge audiences with music that speaks to individual experiences and explores meaningful issues facing us all.