Conductors
Jonathan DeBruyn, Conductor
As conductor, Jonathan DeBruyn inspires both musicians and audiences with his musical leadership and selections. Supporting the SSO’s mission to widely share symphonic music, DeBruyn offers insightful and enjoyable pre-concert talks. From Dvorak and Holst to Mahler and Tchaikovsky, he brings energy and life to every performance.
In 2023, DeBruyn was named Music Director of the Sunnyside Symphony as well as the Artistic Director of the Salem Philharmonia. Internationally, he has conducted in Canada, Poland, Austria, and the Czech Republic. A Conducting Fellow with the Eugene Symphony for the 2018–2019 season, he went on to be named Faber Conducting Fellow with the American Austrian Foundation. In 2022, he was named the Conductor of the Young Artists Debut! concerto competition. Also an accomplished violinist, DeBruyn has performed with many local orchestras, including the Portland Columbia Symphony, the Newport Symphony, and the Eugene Symphony.
Jonathan DeBruyn grew up in Lake Oswego, Oregon, in a musical household where he was exposed to classical music from a young age. He received a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from Portland State University, where he studied with Carol Sindell, and a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting at the University of Oregon with Dr. David Jacobs.
Damián Berdakín, Assistant Conductor
Damián Berdakín joined Sunnyside Symphony Orchestra in 2025 as Assistant Conductor. As a teacher, conductor, and double bass player, he has experience with diverse groups of musicians ranging from young students to professionals and community musicians, and he has a passion for music as a tool for social progress and community development.
For nine years, Berdakín has been Director of Orchestras at South Salem High School. He has worked with prominent art organizations in the Los Angeles community, including as Music Director for the Pacific Lyric Association, Artist Teacher for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Associate Conductor for the Santa Clarita Valley Youth Orchestra, Music Director for the Santa Monica Youth Orchestra, and Assistant Conductor for the Santa Cecilia Orchestra. In 2010, Damián was awarded the Certificate of Recognition of Artistic Contribution to the City of Los Angeles as Music Director of the Zarzuela Luisa Fernanda with the Pacific Lyric Association. He is the author of “The Mindful Warm-up: Practicing the Skill of Concentration,” published in the August 2025 edition of NAFME Teaching Music magazine.
Originally from Argentina, where his musical career began as a double bass player, he studied composition at Argentina National University. Damián moved to the U.S., earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Double Bass Performance at the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and a Master of Fine Arts Degree from the California Institute of the Arts. He has served as Guest Conductor in the U.S., Argentina, and Ecuador.