Daniel R. Afonso Jr.

Daniel R. Afonso Jr. works as a chorus director and conductor with the Modesto Symphony Orchestra, appearing in upcoming seasons for holiday pops concerts, a candlelight holiday program, and Haydn's oratorio The Creation. His listed appearances show him preparing and leading choral forces alongside the orchestra.

In these Modesto Symphony programs, Afonso's role centers on the chorus, the group of singers who join the orchestra for large-scale works. For the Holiday Pops! concerts, expect a mix of seasonal favorites arranged for orchestra and voices, the kind of program built around audience-familiar tunes and festive energy. The Holiday Candlelight Concert, where he appears as conductor, likely leans into a quieter, more reflective seasonal atmosphere. The most substantial work on his schedule is Haydn's The Creation (Die Schöpfung), an oratorio depicting the biblical creation story through vivid orchestral tone-painting, choral outbursts, and solo vocal writing. A chorus director's work here happens largely before the performance, training singers so that Haydn's fast-moving choral lines land cleanly under the conductor's baton.