Biography

Currently pursuing a Masters at the Schulich School of Music at McGill University Daniel is an emerging saxophonist, composer, and arranger who draws from his West Coast, Vancouver roots. An expressive and versatile musician, he established a unique niche for many years in the Montréal scene, playing with small ensembles as leader and sideman, as well as playing lead alto in multiple big band projects. Recently returned to Montréal from Amsterdam where he moved to further hone his craftsmanship and study with Ben van Gelder and Simon Rigter.

He is influenced by artists from across the jazz tradition and uses their music as inspiration for his own compositions and musical vocabulary. From the compositions of Billy Strayhorn and Wayne Shorter to contemporary alto players like Immanuel Wilkins and Logan Richardson, Daniel builds off their work to create his own unique sound. A recent graduate from the Jazz Performance program at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam , Daniel has studied with Ben van Gelder, Christine Jensen, Dick Oatts, and John Hollenbeck as well as Vancouver saxophonist Steve Kaldestad.

Recently he spent 3 weeks at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, developing music for a new chamber ensemble album and forging connections with collaborators from across Canada alongside mentors Jodi Proznick, Stephanie Urquhart and François Houle.