Born: March 30, 1983 Primary Instrument: Tuba
Dan is a tubist, multi-instrumentalist, and creative artist currently living and working in New York City. Described as a “tuba maverick” by the Gothamist, Dan has been active since his move to New York as a soloist, improviser, creative performer, composer, and artistic collaborator in a wide variety of settings. He has premiered solo tuba works by Robert Sirota, Craig Woodward, and Ignacio Baca-Lobra, and has played solo works/recitals at St. Bartholomew's Church, Merkin Hall, and the Stone. In group settings, Dan has worked with conductors such as James Levine and Herbert Blomstedt, composers such as Anthony Braxton and Neely Bruce, and New York luminaries such as Dave Taylor and Dave Liebman. He has played with Alarm Will Sound, Second Instrumental Unit, New World Symphony, the Tanglewood Festival Orchestra, and is a member of the International Contemporary Ensemble. Dan has also been active in the City as a teaching artist, performing through various educational organizations, and recently gave masterclasses at Northwestern University and NYU. Equally at home in jazz/creative settings as he is in contemporary music, Dan plays in the traditional jazz band Grandpa Musselman and His Syncopators. The Syncopators play frequently at burlesque clubs in and around the City, and were invited to the Jazz at Aspen Festival of 2007, directed by bassist Christian McBride. In June of 2008, through the Syncopators connection, Dan coordinated and played in a show at the Burlesque on the Beach Festival at the Coney Island Freak Show Museum, for which he wrote original music. Currently, Dan is enjoying meeting and playing with all kinds of creative types in the city. He looks forward to collaborating with the composers of today in order to bring the tuba into more solo and chamber contexts, and also has a specific interest in multi-disciplinary works of music/art. He attended the Manhattan School of Music and the Mason Gross School of Arts at Rutgers University, where he received the Presser Foundation Award. His main teachers include Scott Mendoker, Toby Hanks, and Warren Deck.
