American conductor Dan K. Kurland is on the full-time staff of the Wiener Staatsoper where he serves as music coordinator of the NEST (NEue STaatsoper), the State Opera's newly-opened performance venue.  The 2026-27 season has him leading new productions of Karussell, The Little Prince (ballet), The Little Witch (opera), as well as a revival of Lee Miller in Hitler's Bathtub (featuring Kate Lindsey).  He will also conduct orchestral repertory, notably two special event concerts on New Year's Eve.

This season's engagements follow previous successes on the podium, including Strauss 2225 (ballet, featuring three world premiere works), Musketiere! (world premiere opera in co-production with Salzburger Festspiele YSP), and Oper Animiert: Cenerentola.

Mr Kurland began his European career at the age of 21 at the Franco-American Vocal Academy (Périgueux, France) with subsequent engagements at Theater Hagen and Oper Halle (both in Germany).  His training as a pianist and work as a répétiteur fostered numerous chamber music concerts in both instrumental and vocal repertories across the globe; he has also appeared as orchestral pianist on tour with both the Wiener Philharmoniker and RSO Wien.  In addition to performances with conductors Franz Welser-Möst, Semyon Bychkov, Kevin John Edusei, Markus Poschner, and Thomas Sanderling, he has also assisted Philippe Jordan, Christian Curnyn, and especially Michael Hofstetter, with whom he worked closely on the Naxos 2024 DVD recording of Handel's Brockes Passion.

His wide-range and detailed readings of repertoire are reflected in his on-stage partners who include soprano Julia Bullock, mezzo-soprano Kate Lindsey, tenors Miles Mykkanen and Spencer Lang, baritones Stephen Lancaster and Randall Scarlata, violinists Francisco García Fullana, Eric Silberger and Charles Yang, pianist Jonathan Feldman, cellist Julian Schwarz, the string quintet SYBARITE5, and actors Tyne Daly, Shalita Grant, Ernestine Jackson, Michael Kostroff.  He has appeared at the BBC Proms, Lucerne Festival, Musikverein, Wiener Hofburgkapelle, AlpenKammermusik, Wigmore Hall, the Aspen Music Festival and School, The Guggenheim Museum, Caramoor, and Lincoln Center.

Mr Kurland earned his MM and DMA at The Juilliard School and BM (hon.) at The University of Texas at Austin. He was born in Chicago and in his leisure time he enjoys hosting dinner parties inspired by Ina Garten, surveying gin and French wines, and running (in April 2026, he (proudly but tiredly) completed his first marathon in under four hours).