Conductor Dan Pasquale D’Andrea, whose orchestras have been the recipient of awards for Outstanding Programming (2000-01), Chamber Orchestra of the Year (2003-04), and Community Relations of the Year (2006, 2012, 2018) by the Illinois Council of Orchestras, is currently Music Director of the Senior Suburban Orchestra, the Sinfonietta Bel Canto, the Sinfonietta DuPage and the Combined Church Choir of Itasca. He served as Music Director and Conductor of the College of DuPage Chamber Orchestra (11 years) and the Salt Creek Sinfonietta (14 years), and has been guest conductor for other ensembles, including the Wheaton Symphony Orchestra.

An in-demand adjudicator, Mr. D’Andrea has judged area solo competitions, and for three consecutive years served on the Peer Review Board of the Hinsdale Center for the Arts. 

Dan is also a harpsichordist and an award-winning bassoonist, and has appeared as a soloist with several orchestras, including the New England Conservatory Symphony Orchestra. His solo honors include co-winner of the 1990 National Association for Composers/USA Young Performers’ Competition, semi-finalist in the 1987 Fernand Gillet Young Artists Competition, and winner in the Double Reed award at the 1989 Kingsville International Young Performers’ Competition.

A Chicago-area native, he has received music degrees from De Paul University, New England Conservatory and Northern Illinois University, and is currently Principal Bassoon for the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra.

Demonstrations of his solo bassoon playing (3 videos, including "Flight of the Bumble Bee") are available on YouTube (search "Dan D'Andrea Bassoon");  multiple videos of his conducting and artistic direction of opera are also on YouTube. (search "Sinfonietta Bel Canto").