David Dong is a San Gabriel Valley native from Temple City and a passionate advocate for anime and video game music in the concert world. He is the Music Director of the Tonario Orchestra, a community ensemble based in the greater Los Angeles area dedicated to performing music from Studio Ghibli, Japanese animation, and video games. Under his direction, Tonario has performed at venues such as Anime Los Angeles and Anime Expo, bringing beloved scores to life for dedicated fan communities.
David also serves as the Music Licensing Coordinator for the San Gabriel Valley Symphony, where he helps acquire performance and arrangement rights for film, game, TV, and anime IPs working directly with Japanese publishers and more. Fluent in Japanese, he bridges cultural and musical worlds, working to make these genres more accessible to live audiences across Southern California.
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The San Gabriel Valley Symphony is a professional orchestra created by working musicians and local leaders to reflect and serve the San Gabriel Valley—focusing on community engagement and social impact. Our mission is to show the next generation in the SGV that a career in the arts is not only possible, but capable of creating real change in their communities and beyond.
