About this Artist
Danko Druško, a Croatian conductor raised in Germany and now based in California, is widely recognized for his dynamic artistry and versatility across classical, contemporary, and crossover repertoire. He frequently collaborates with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, and The Ford, and has conducted orchestras across Europe and North America, including the Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Metropolitan Orchestra Lisbon, Rochester Philharmonic, Budapest Operetta, Frankfurt Opera, and Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège.
Druško has worked alongside conductors such as Gustavo Dudamel, Simone Young, Philippe Jordan, and Thomas Wilkins, and collaborated with artists ranging from Joshua Bell, Alison Balsom, Nicola Benedetti, and Jean-Yves Thibaudet to Beck, Ledisi, Café Tacvba, and Earth, Wind & Fire. His work spans a wide range of styles, including concert presentations of film music such as Disney’s The Little Mermaid and Star Wars: A New Hope. He has also led innovative projects, including a reimagining of Mozart’s The Magic Flute with artist Frances Stark, commissioned for the Absolut Art Award and premiered at LACMA before touring international museums including MoMA, the Smithsonian, and ICA London.
A recipient of multiple awards in Germany, Druško was honored with the Friedrichshafen City Art Award and the Conducting Prize of Lake Constance in southern Germany. He was also a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar and holds advanced conducting degrees from the Eastman School of Music and the IU Jacobs School of Music, as well as studies in English Literature and Linguistics. Druško maintains strong ties to Germany and Croatia; he has recently collaborated with soloists including Ioana Goicea, Professor of Violin in Vienna, and Aurelia Visovan, Professor of Piano in Nürnberg. In addition, he is Director of Orchestral Studies at Chapman University’s Hall-Musco Conservatory of Music.