Progress
Before committing to his music studies full time, Daniel attended the Elgar School of Music in Worcester with a Harrison Clark Scholarship for brass and a bursary award for violin. There he attained Grade 8 ABRSM with Distinction and subsequently began to pursue his interests in various forms of composition. Between 2013 and 2017, Dan studied Composition & Creative Music Technology at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, receiving the BMus with First-Class Honours.
Through the ambition to nuture his skills, Daniel has earned positions on significant composition schemes, residencies and creative projects with The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, The BBC National Orchestra of Wales, The National Youth Orchestra of Wales, Music Theatre Wales, Ty Cerdd, Psappha Ensemble and Ludlow English Song Weekend. Early career commissions have already arrived from a diverse collection of ensembles including Sinfonia Cymru, Hijinx Theatre, The Hallé Orchestra, Royal Battalion the Welsh Guards Band and Lower Machen Festival. Dan’s work has also lead him to forging his own collaborations with creative organisations like John Hardy Music, The Richard Burton Theatre Company, Cardiff School of Art & Design, The University of South Wales, Techniquest Science Museum, The Guildhall School of Music & Drama, King’s College Modern Music Society and Chapter Arts Centre.
Recognition
He has been awarded the Janet Sweeny Prize for Music (2013), the Mark Scivier Cup for Music Technology (2013), the Welsh Music Guild’s Young Composer Prize (2015), an Honourable Mention from the Los Angeles Experimental Forum Film Festival (2017) and the BBC Horizons Launchpad Award (2018). Dan’s work has been supported by the Alfrick Educational Trust (2014/2015), the Friends of RWCMD (2015/2016), Ty Cerdd (2019) and Wales Arts International (2019).
Out & About
From Llandudno to London, Daniel’s music has enjoyed performances and recordings throughout much of Wales and out across the UK, with exciting programming in establishments like Buckingham Palace, Saint David’s Hall and King’s College London Chapel. In parallel, warmly welcomed international excursions for recognised pieces has brought his sound to Tallinn (Estonia), Quiberon (France) and Prague (Czech Republic). In mixed media and education, his work has been heard by theatre audiences at the Royal Court, school children throughout Manchester and Welsh TV drama enthusiasts in Cardiff. Diverse creations of Dan’s have also been broadcast multiple times on BBC Radio and have featured in online and local radio commercials.
Beyond the Page
Since 2017, Daniel has been working as part of John Hardy Music, fulling roles in score editing for publishing with Faber Music, distribution for company record label Ffin and within the creative composition team. The live concert performance of music from the two television dramas, Hidden::Hinterland, was co-project coordinated and musically directed by Daniel for its staging at the Dora Stoutzker Concert Hall in 2018.
Dan greatly values the opportunities he’s had as a performing musician: his ability on violin found him a seat within the RWCMD Symphony Orchestra; an enthusiasm for group singing led him to join the BBC Proms Youth Choir alongside the Vienna Philharmonic under Simon Rattle; and his trombone and baritone playing connected him with the jazz, funk, concert and brass band worlds. Dan continues to enjoy sharing his music as a performing artist, utilising a growing collection of tools to do so and honing his practice as a confident conductor for various ensemble contexts.