Daniel Hope facts for kids
Daniel Hope is a famous classical violinist. He was born in Durban, South Africa, on August 17, 1973. He is known for his amazing violin playing and for making classical music exciting for everyone.
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Early Life and Learning
Daniel Hope was born in South Africa. His family has roots in Ireland and Germany. His grandparents came from Berlin and had to leave because of a difficult time in history.
His father, Christopher Hope, is a writer. His mother, Eleanor Hope, worked with the famous musician Yehudi Menuhin. When Daniel was only six months old, his family moved to London. They moved because his father disagreed with the unfair rules in South Africa at that time.
In London, Daniel went to Highgate School. He also studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School, a special music school. Later, in 2011, he became a visiting professor at the Royal Academy of Music. He had studied there himself and earned important music degrees.
Music Career
In 2002, Daniel Hope joined the Beaux Arts Trio. This was a very famous music group. He later decided to leave the trio to focus on his own music career. The Beaux Arts Trio played its last concerts in August 2008. Daniel was their last violinist.
Daniel has also helped lead music festivals. In 2015, he became the new music director for the Zurich Chamber Orchestra. He started this role in 2016. In 2018, he also became the music and artistic director for the New Century Chamber Orchestra.
In 2017, Daniel received a special award from Germany. It was called the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. He got it for his work in music and for helping remember important events through music.
Daniel plays a very special violin. It was made in 1737 by Giuseppe Guarneri. This violin is known as the "ex-Lipinski" violin.
As a Presenter
Daniel Hope has also presented TV shows and events. In 2013, he presented a documentary film. It was called The Secrets of the Violin. The film explored how violins have been made over hundreds of years. It showed violins from famous makers like Amati and Stradivari.
In 2016, Daniel Hope helped host the Eurovision Young Musicians 2016. This big music competition took place in Cologne, Germany.
Hope@Home (2020)
In March 2020, when many people had to stay home, Daniel Hope started something special. He began a series of live concerts called "Hope@Home." These concerts were broadcast online by Arte. He played over 100 concerts from his home in Berlin. Millions of people watched these shows. He even won an award for this project. Many other famous musicians who lived in Berlin also joined him.
Hope@Home on Tour
When things started to get better in the summer of 2020, the concerts moved. They were played in different places, not just his home. This part of the series was called "Hope@Home on Tour."
Hope@Home Next Generation
In November 2020, people had to stay home more again. So, the concerts returned to Daniel's living room. This time, the shows focused on young, talented performers. This series was called "Hope@Home Next Generation." Daniel also worked with the New Century Chamber Orchestra in San Francisco. The series continued into December 2020.
Christmas Concerts
In December 2021 and 2022, special Christmas concerts were streamed online. You could watch them on the ARTE Concert channel.
Personal Life
Daniel Hope is married to the painter Silvana Kaiser. They used to live in Vienna. In 2016, they moved to Berlin. Daniel has both Irish and German citizenship.
Music Recordings
Daniel Hope has released many music recordings. In 2020, he released a collection of highlights from his "Hope@Home" concerts. He also released a Christmas music album.
He has been recording music for Deutsche Grammophon since 2007. This is a very well-known record company.
Awards for Recordings
Daniel Hope has won many awards for his music recordings. These include the Echo Klassik awards and the Opus Klassik awards. These are major classical music awards in Germany.
- 2004: ECHO Klassik: Best New Artist (for Violin Concertos – Alban Berg, Benjamin Britten)
- 2006: ECHO Klassik: Best Chamber Music Recording (for East Meets West)
- 2006: ECHO Klassik: Musician of the Year (for Dmitri Shostakovich, Violin Concertos 1 & 2)
- 2008: ECHO Klassik: Best Concert Recording (for Mendelssohn)
- 2009: ECHO Klassik: Best Concert Recording (for Vivaldi)
- 2013: ECHO Klassik: Classic without Borders (for Recomposed by Max Richter)
- 2017: ECHO Klassik: Classic without Borders (for For Seasons)
- 2021: Opus Klassik: Special award
