DAN SAUNDERS is becoming increasingly well known to audiences around the world as an accomplished conductor and pianist. An assistant conductor to James Levine and Seiji Ozawa and a recitalist with many of the world's finest soloists, Saunders served as the Associate Conductor of the Virginia Opera from 2000 until 2006 and is currently an Assistant Conductor with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.

In 2007 he returned to the Met for their new production of Hansel and Gretel. Highlights of subsequent seasons include a new production of Armida with Renee Fleming, Salome with Karita Mattila and serving as a Musical Assistant to Fabio Luisi for Rigoletto and Tosca.

The current season at the Met includes a new production of Don Giovanni in which he played harpsichord recitatives, broadcast on Sirius Radio nationally with Louis Langree conducting. Subsequent operas include Rodelinda with Renee Fleming, a world premiere of Jeremy Sam’s Enchanted Island, starring Placido Domingo, Danielle de Niese, Joyce DiDonato, David Daniels and Luca Pisaroni.  Spring 2012 productions include La Traviata and Billy Budd.
In the summer of 2011 The New York Philharmonic invited Mr Saunders to serve as a Musical Assistant to Alan Gilbert for Janacek’s Cunning Little Vixen.

Internationally last season, Saunders served as Music Director and Conductor with the Sinfonica Nacional of Costa Rica in a new production of Rossini’s L’Italiana in Algeri to critical acclaim. He made his debut at the Dresden Opera, conducting Gershwin's Porgy and Bess produced by Harlem Productions.

Mr Saunders has served as Music Director for the Harrower Opera Workshop at Georgia State University in Atlanta, as an Assistant Conductor at Glimmerglass Opera, where he made his debut conducting the Glimmerglass Opera Orchestra.  He led the Manhattan School of Music Opera Theater Scenes Program in the school's 90th anniversary year and for two seasons has conducted the MSM Graduate Orchestra, featuring Lauren Flanigan, Soprano.

At the invitation of Placido Domingo, Saunders made his debut with the Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center in 2006, serving as Cover Conductor for the Francesca Zambello Production of Gershwin's Porgy & Bess and returned in May 2007 for Verdi’s Macbeth.

In the summer of 2006, he conducted West Side Story at the Ash Lawn Opera Festival followed by appearances with the New York All-State Orchestra at the famed Eastman Theater. Saunders then joined the distinguished faculty of the International Vocal Arts Institute in Israel.

As Associate Conductor of Virginia Opera Association (VOA) from 2000-2006, Saunders conducted many performances with the Virginia and Richmond Symphonies to critical acclaim. He served as Music Director and Principal Conductor for Le Nozze di Figaro, The Merry Widow, The Magic Flute, Die Fledermaus, La Bohème, The Mikado, The Barber of Seville, West Side Story and Don Pasquale. He also led performances of Turandot, Rodalinda, Faust and Porgy & Bess.

Saunders made his debut with the New York City Opera National Company in 1999 leading 35 performances of Madame Butterfly throughout the United States. He has also conducted the New Jersey Opera Theater and the Boston University Opera Institute.

In addition to the Metropolitan Opera, Saunders assisted Levine at the Salzburg and Ravinia Festivals, Ozawa at the Saito Kinen, Tanglewood, and Salzburg Festivals and Kurt Masur at the New York Philharmonic. He has also served on the Music Staffs of New York City Opera, Santa Fe, Cologne and Des Moines Operas.

Saunders has served as Musical Assistant for the Deutsche Grammophon and Philips Labels, as well as for CAMI Video.