Podcast - Dana Zimbric

Symphonina Foundation Ambassador Annelle Gregory Interviews Conductor Dana Zimbric

Dana Zimbric is an award-winning conductor and music educator on a mission to keep classical music relevant and engaging for today's audiences. Since 2010, she has served as Artistic Director and Conductor of the California Chamber Orchestra, the only professional orchestra performing in the Temecula/Murrieta area, whose work has earned support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the California Arts Council, Women's Philharmonic Advocacy, and Partners in Performance (founded by violinist Midori). Since 2003, she has also led San Diego-based Classics 4 Kids and its Classics Philharmonic Orchestra, bringing dozens of concerts, residencies, and virtual programs each year to over 40,000 schoolchildren in San Diego County and beyond. Zimbric’s work with Classics 4 Kids was recognized with the 2017 California Music Educators Association’s Fortissimo Award and a 2021 State-level Music Industry Leadership Award.Since 2015, Zimbric has conducted Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker with the San Diego Symphony, leading the region's largest production of the holiday classic alongside professional ballet companies. She has also guest-conducted the San Diego Symphony, San Diego State University Symphony, and regional Honor Orchestras and has held past posts with Orchestra Nova San Diego, San Diego Youth Symphony, and the University of Wisconsin orchestras. A finalist for San Diego Magazine's Woman of the Year and the San Diego Business Journal's Women Who Mean Business Awards, Zimbric holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin and UW-Milwaukee.

Please enjoy this long-format conversation between Symphonina Foundation Ambassador Annelle Gregory and Dana.