Dax Anthony Stokes, Conductor

2026-2027 Musician Interest Form The Denton Symphony Orchestra is a new non-profit, semi-professional orchestra in Denton, TX. Our mission is to enrich and educate the Denton and greater North Texas community through thoughtful, meaningful performances while upholding the region’s strong artistic tradition. We are currently looki...

I’m very excited to finally announce this new endeavor. The Denton Symphony Orchestra will be a new professional ensemble in Denton, and we’ve planned two great performances for this upcoming season. Be sure to follow our page for all of the future updates.

Denton Symphony Orchestra – Live Classical Music in Denton | Denton Symphony Orchestra Experience the vibrant sounds of the Denton Symphony Orchestra, bringing performances of live classical music and community spirit to every concert.

Story time: I was probably about 11 or 12 when I first decided I wanted to be a conductor, but we have an issue here in the US where we don't let people study conducting until their 3rd year of college music school, if that. And you can't major in it until grad school, with very few exceptions. I had to create my own lessons in my undergrad just so I could go beyond the basic conducting class offered. It was definitely not going to be possible to study with anyone in high school back then.

Well, I've decided that I'd like to see that change, so I'm offering lessons this summer for anyone that would like to start to learn conducting. I'm especially interested in helping any high school students that think they might want to pursue a career in conducting. Lessons can be in person in DFW or online from anywhere in the world. Any type of ensemble background is fine. See the flyer below for more information, or follow the link in the comments to fill out an interest form.

Smetana's "Vltava," with the UNT Concert Orchestra.

UNT Concert Orchestra: The Moldau from Má Vlast by Bedřich Smetana UNT Concert OrchestraDax Anthony Stokes, conductorVltava (The Moldau) from Má vlast (My Fatherland) (1885) by Bedřich Smetana (1824-1884)Recorded live Monday...

Gift bags for the conductors at the 5th Competition in Vratsa, Bulgaria. First round conducting went very well, I think. The orchestra players responded and sounded great! Results tomorrow evening.