Since 2020, Daniel Wachter has served as a valued board member of ALTIX Consulting, bringing his global executive experience and visionary leadership to the company’s mission of empowering industrial champions. Beyond the boardroom, Daniel shared how his passion for classical music led him to a major career transition: after 25 years in leadership roles in industry, he became President & CEO of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra.
For Daniel, music is more than art—it is a metaphor for unity, vision, and the deep human side of leading organizations. In this conversation, Daniel discusses how classical music, and the art of conducting have shaped his philosophy of business leadership, offering inspiring lessons on harmony, trust, and the power of emotion in driving excellence.
Daniel, you had a long and successful career in global industry. What was the turning point that led you from packaging to the world of music?
Honestly, it was kind of serendipity. For most of my life, music was just something I loved privately. I grew up with music, and it was always part of me, but it stayed in the background. Then one evening, while at one of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra concerts, something shifted. That evening was such a powerful, emotional experience that I walked out of the hall changed. Music suddenly wasn’t just entertainment anymore—it touched me on a much deeper, soul level. And from that moment, I knew I couldn’t keep music, especially classical music, on the sidelines of my life.
You often talk about ‘provoking luck.’ Can you tell us more about that mindset?
Yes, that’s something I really believe in and have experienced. Luck doesn’t just show up, you have to put yourself in situations where it can show up and happen. And then, when it does, you need the courage to grab it. For me, that meant stepping away from the safety of a corporate career that was going very well and daring to say yes to something completely different. Music had touched me so deeply that I felt I had no choice but to follow it. It was scary, but it was the right thing.
How did you make the transition from the world of industry to the symphony world?
I started slowly. First, I joined the board of the Cincinnati Symphony and joined its strategy committee. That gave me a real look into how an orchestra works behind the scenes. I realized it wasn’t just art—it was also an organization, and a business, that needed vision, leadership, and strategy. After serving for 5 years on the Board in Cincinnati, I joined the Board of the Colorado Symphony in 2023, became its Vice Chair, and was offered to lead the Colorado Symphony as President and CEO earlier this year. It was a bold move, but I thought: the leadership skills I’ve built in industry business are transferable, and that I can bring different and new perspectives. So, I jumped. And it’s been one of the most rewarding decisions of my life so far.
What have you discovered about leadership through the lens of music?
Leading an orchestra is leadership in its purest form. In industry, you rely on machines, processes, systems, and people. In a symphony, the only machines we switch on are the coffee machines—everything else is people. It’s 100 percent about human beings working and playing music together. And that’s powerful. Conductors don’t make a sound themselves, yet they bring 80 or 100 musicians together under one vision. That’s exactly what great leadership is about: uniting people, inspiring them, and helping them play their best part in harmony with others.
You describe music as a kind of ‘soul massage.’ What do you mean by that?
Music does something words can’t. It bypasses the rational brain and goes straight to the heart and soul. You don’t need to explain why a certain piece moves you, you just feel it. For me, music is soul food. It nourishes us, it connects us, it reminds us of who we are and what it means to be human. And in today’s world, I think that’s more important than ever.
How do you connect this power of music back to business leadership?
That’s where our “Conducting Business Leadership” Workshop comes in. We literally take executives out of their daily business environment and place them inside a real orchestra. Suddenly, they’re no longer talking about leadership in abstract terms. They’re experiencing it.
Standing in front of musicians, you realize quickly: you can’t lead them by barking orders. You can’t lean on PowerPoint slides or spreadsheets. You have to lead with presence, with vision, with emotion. You have to inspire trust. And when that connection happens—when the musicians respond and the sound lifts—it’s a revelation.
For many executives, it’s an epiphany; it has been one to me many years ago. We suddenly understand leadership as something far more human than just strategies, KPIs, or numbers. It’s about creating trust, listening, connecting emotionally, about drawing the best out of people so they can play in harmony toward a shared vision. And once you’ve felt that on the podium or from inside the orchestra, you never forget it. It changes the way you think about leadership forever.
You also emphasize the difference between profit-driven business and a mission-driven symphony. How has that shaped your leadership philosophy?
It’s been a big shift for me. In a corporation, the output is profit. In a nonprofit orchestra, while input is also money, the output is delivering the mission—touching lives, serving the community, inspiring people. That’s how you measure success there. It’s not about how much you earn, but how effectively, efficiently and sustainably we deliver on our social mission and brand promise and make a distinctive impact, relative to our resources. That perspective has changed me as a leader. It’s a constant reminder that leadership isn’t just about numbers—it’s about people, meaning, impact, and purpose.
Looking back, what advice would you give to leaders who are considering a transformation of their own?
I’d say: don’t be afraid to step outside of comfort zone, it’s even needed to step outside to grow. Embrace serendipity: If life offers you an unexpected door, open it. And if it feels right in your heart, walk through it—even if it’s scary. Sometimes the most extraordinary transformations happen when you dare to listen to that inner voice. That’s been true in my journey, and I think it can be true for others too.
About the Colorado Symphony: The Colorado Symphony is the Rocky Mountain region’s premier full-time professional orchestra, dedicated to bringing world-class music to diverse audiences across Colorado and beyond. Based in Denver, the Symphony is known for its innovative programming, collaborations across genres, and commitment to music education and community engagement. With a repertoire spanning classical masterworks to contemporary and cross-genre performances, the Colorado Symphony inspires, uplifts, and connects people through the transformative power of live music.
