Bio

Dax Anthony Stokes is an American orchestral conductor with more than two decades of experience leading orchestral, operatic, and large-scale ensemble performances across the United States and internationally. He has served as Music Director of the Chamber Orchestra of Denton and currently holds the post of Music Director of the St. Kassiani Chorale, while maintaining an active orchestral guest conducting schedule.

Recent orchestral engagements include guest conducting appearances with the North Texas Symphony Orchestra, The Pops Orchestra of Bradenton and Sarasota, and the McHenry County College Wind Ensemble, in addition to his role as a Conducting Fellow with the University of North Texas Concert Orchestra. His work is marked by rehearsal efficiency, stylistic clarity, and a repertoire-driven approach that supports both artistic depth and audience engagement.

Stokes’s musical background spans orchestral, operatic, and choral traditions, including international conducting experience in Russia, where he has led professional choirs in Moscow and participated in conducting classes at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory. This breadth informs a podium style grounded in structural precision, vocal awareness, and long-range musical architecture.

He is completing the Doctor of Musical Arts in Orchestral Conducting at the University of North Texas, where his principal teachers have included Anshel Brusilow, Clay Couturiaux, and Stephen Dubberly. In addition to his conducting career, he is active as an educator and clinician, regularly invited to lead workshops and masterclasses throughout the United States.