David Itkin

The 2025-2026 season marks Maestro David Itkin’s 21^st season as Music Director and Conductor of the Abilene Philharmonic, and his 18th year serving as Professor of Music and Director of Orchestral Studies at the University of North Texas College of Music, where his recent performances have included Mahler Symphony No. 6, the Verdi Requiem, Bruckner Symphony No. 7, Beethoven Symphony No. 9, Puccini’s Turandot, Verdi’s Otello, Puccini’ Tosca, and Janacek’s The Cunning Little Vixen.

Following a distinguished 17-year tenure, Maestro Itkin was named Conductor Laureate of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra in July 2010. Previously Mr. Itkin served as Music Director & Conductor of the Las Vegas Philharmonic, Artistic Director and Conductor of the McCall Summerfest in McCall, Idaho, and as Music Director of the Lake Forest Symphony (Chicago), the Kingsport Symphony, the Birmingham Opera Theatre, and the Lucius Woods Music Festival (Wisconsin).

During past seasons Maestro Itkin’s career has taken him to 45 U.S. states and 15 countries in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, including concerts and recordings with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the Transylvania State Philharmonic, the Slovenska Filhamonija, the San Diego Symphony, and the Seoul Philharmonic. Other guest conducting appearances include concerts with the Colorado Philharmonic, the Annapolis Symphony, the National Repertory Orchestra, the Fort Worth Symphony, the Illinois Symphony, the Delaware Symphony, the New Hampshire Symphony, the Cheyenne Symphony, and the Indianapolis, Baltimore, and Reno Chamber Orchestras. During the Summer of 2006 Maestro Itkin appeared once again with the Slovenska Filharmonija in Ljubljana, Slovenia, conducting the opening concert of the 14th World Saxophone Congress.

His books, The Conductor’s Craft [2021] and Conducting Concerti [2014], have received wide acclaim. Leonard Slatkin “highly recommended” Conducting Concerti as “a valuable textbook for the aspiring Maestro,” and Samuel Adler wrote of The Conductor’s Craft, “a real breakthrough aid for anyone studying or teaching conducting at any level.” Mr. Itkin’s memoir, Right Back Where I Started was published in July 2025 by the University of North Texas Press and is now available on Amazon. The audio book, narrated by the author, is available at audible.com.