Darin Atwater

“Darin Atwater is a musical genius and bridge builder as he lies musical planks that close the chasm between genres and wraps it all up in a neat bow and delivers a soulful symphony that lingers long after the final note is played.” Washington Examiner

An artistic force in the broadest and most creative sense of the word, Darin Atwater's career has encompassed the roles of composer, conductor, pianist, record producer, artist, arranger, film composer, vocalist, entrepreneur, educator, and arts advocate.

As a master inventor of musical hybrids, he has blended American pop, soul, hip-hop, jazz, classical, gospel music into many dazzling fusions, traversing virtually every medium, including records, live performance, radio and television - literally reinventing the symphony orchestra in America.

In 2023 Darin was named Artistic Director of the Monterey Jazz Festival; he is only the third person to hold the position in the festival’s 65-year history. The 2024 Festival will be his first as Artistic Director.

Darin is Founding Artistic Director of Soulful Symphony, an 85-member orchestra with vocals made up of predominantly African American and Latino musicians. This season marks 25-years since the orchestra began.

As a guest conductor, he has worked with various orchestras, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony, Dallas Symphony, and Columbus Symphony. He appears regularly with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis as both guest conductor and composer.

From 2004–07 he served as Composer-in-Residence with the Baltimore Symphony.