He is the former chorus master of the Metropolitan Opera based in New York City and a member of the Vocal Arts faculty at the Juilliard School.
[6][5] When his appointment was announced in 2006, Peter Gelb, the opera's general manager, said: "Donald Palumbo is widely regarded as the greatest chorus conductor in the world today".
[citation needed] Since 2014 he has also been the vocal coach for the apprentices of the Santa Fe Opera, and he works with young artists at the Glimmerglass Festival.
[5] In 2016 he was appointed to the faculty of the Juilliard School's Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts[7][5] Palumbo retired from the Metropolitan Opera in June of 2024.
He and his husband, John Hauser, split their time between homes in Santa Fe, New Mexico and Wildwood Crest, New Jersey.