Biography

Damon Gupton is the first-ever principal guest conductor of the Cincinnati Pops. He served as American conducting fellow of the Houston Symphony and held the post of assistant conductor of the Kansas City Symphony. His conducting appearances include the Boston Pops, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Detroit Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, National Symphony, Toledo Symphony, San Diego Symphony. He led the Sphinx Chamber Orchestra on two national tours with performances at Carnegie Hall, and conducted the finals of the Seventh Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition and the 2021 Classic FM Live at Royal Albert Hall with Chineke!. Other musical collaborations include work with Marcus Miller, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Common, Leslie Odom Jr., Byron Stripling, Tony DeSare, The Midtown Men, Kenn Hicks, and Jamie Cullum. He made San Francisco Symphony debut in July 2019.

A native of Detroit, Mr. Gupton has also had roles in television, film, and on stage, including series regular roles on Big Door Prize for Apple TV as well as The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey starring Samuel L. Jackson. He appeared in Damien Chazelle’s Academy Award-winning films Whiplash and LaLa Land, as well as This is Forty, The Last Airbender, Helen at Risk, Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead, Unfaithful, and The Loretta Claiborne Story.

Mr.Gupton is the inaugural recipient of the Emerging Artist Award from the University of Michigan School of Music and Alumni Society, and is a winner of the Third International Eduardo Mata Conducting Competition.

(9/2022)