David Metrio is a Colombian-American conductor and music educator recognized for his dynamic podium presence and versatile work across both orchestral and educational settings. Beginning in the 2026–2027 season, Metrio will join the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera as Resident Conductor and Creative Director of Education and Engagement. Concurrently, he will serve as Director of Orchestras at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

A proud music educator, he taught in K–12 public schools for nearly a decade, where he developed a reputation for artistic excellence, student-centered leadership, and innovative programming. Today, he remains in demand nationwide as a guest conductor, clinician, and presenter, leading honor orchestras, festivals, adjudications, and professional development sessions at educational conferences throughout the United States.

Metrio has earned a reputation for leading ensembles to performances of distinction, with repeated invitations to prominent national stages and conferences, including Carnegie Hall, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic, the American String Teachers Association National Orchestra Festival, and the Georgia Music Educators Association In-Service Conference. His ensembles have also received national recognition through the Mark of Excellence/National Orchestra Honors Project.

His conducting studies include work with Miguel Harth-Bedoya of Rice University and Andrew Kim of the Berkshire Symphony through The Conducting Institute as well as masterclasses with Donald Schleicher and Carl Topilow. He is also a 2027 Carlos Miguel Prieto Conducting Fellow with the OAcademy Global Artist Program, where he will study under the mentorship of Carlos Miguel Prieto of the North Carolina Symphony and Alexander Shelley of the Naples Philharmonic. As part of the program, he will participate in masterclasses with conductors such as Marin Alsop, Leonard Slatkin, and Simone Young. 

Metrio remains active nationally as a conductor, clinician, educator, and presenter, engaging with ensembles, students, and audiences across a wide range of musical settings both professional and educational. His work reflects a deep commitment to excellence in music, and inspiring the next generation of musicians.