Marlon Daniel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marlon Daniel
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| Born |
Chicago, Illinois
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| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Conductor, music director |
| Known for | Contemporary classical music, Music of Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Music of African descent |
Marlon Daniel is an American musician who is a talented conductor and music director. He is especially known for his work with the music of Chevalier de Saint-Georges, a famous composer from the past. Marlon Daniel won the John and Mary Virginia Foncannon Conducting Award in 2009. He also received a prize at the Bucharest Symphony Orchestra International Conducting Competition in 2018.
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Early Life and Interests
Marlon Daniel was born in Chicago, Illinois. His family originally came from New Orleans, Louisiana, and Atlanta, Georgia. He has a diverse background, including African American, French, and American Indian heritage.
As a child, Marlon attended St. Ita Grammar School and Lane Technical High School in Chicago. He was also a scholarship student at the Boitsov Classical Ballet School, where he studied dance. He was even a member of the Najwa Dance Corps. For a short time, he tried acting and appeared on the TV show Sesame Street. He also earned two silver medals in competitive jujitsu.
How He Learned Music
Marlon Daniel's musical talent was first noticed when he was just seven years old. His father, Michael Daniel, who was an amateur musician, discovered that Marlon could play his piano pieces by ear without any lessons!
Marlon began his first piano lessons with Kathryn Gladden. He continued his early music studies at the Music Center of the North Shore and the American Conservatory of Music.
With support from Mayor Harold Washington, Marlon continued his music education in both the United States and Europe. He earned piano degrees from the Manhattan School of Music. He also studied at Le Conservatoire Américain "Fontainebleau" in France and Centro de Estudios Musicales Isaac Albéniz in Spain. Later, he studied at New York University. He learned conducting at the Prague Academy and the Prague Conservatory.
Marlon Daniel was also mentored by Jorma Panula, a very famous Finnish conducting teacher. Panula has taught many other successful conductors. Daniel also spent time learning from world-renowned conductors like Sir Simon Rattle and Iván Fischer.
Marlon Daniel's Music Career
Marlon Daniel started his music career as a child piano prodigy in Chicago. He later worked as a concert artist while studying conducting and piano. In 1993, he was chosen as one of only thirteen pianists from around the world to join a special program at the Gilmore International Keyboard Festival. He continued to perform as a soloist with orchestras and in recitals. He also played chamber music with famous singers and instrumentalists in the United States and Europe.
Leading Orchestras
In 2000, Daniel founded a group called Manhattan Virtuosi and was its music director for four years. He then started to focus more on conducting. From 2003 to 2007, he lived mostly in Europe. During this time, he was an associate conductor for the Praga Sinfonietta.
After Manhattan Virtuosi ended, Daniel founded a new chamber orchestra in New York in 2004 called Ensemble du Monde. This group brought together talented musicians from all over the world. Many former members of Manhattan Virtuosi joined this new ensemble.
Daniel has conducted in many famous concert halls around the world. These include Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York. He has also performed with many internationally known artists.
He has also worked as a conductor and music director for various commercial projects. For example, he conducted for the world premiere of a Maybach car. He also conducted for the live world premiere of Nickelodeon Television's Emmy-winning Wonder Pets! episode, "Save the Goldfish."
Current Roles and Performances
Besides Ensemble du Monde, Daniel is the main conductor of the New Horizons Orchestra. He is also the artistic director of the Festival International Saint-Georges in Guadeloupe. From 2012 to 2014, he was the principal guest conductor of the Sofia Sinfonietta. He has been a guest conductor for orchestras in many countries, including the United States, the Caribbean, the Czech Republic, and Germany.
In 2015, he was the first American conductor invited to Cuba after the US embargo was lifted. He made successful debuts with the Havana Lyceum Orchestra and the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Cuba. He has continued to perform regularly in Cuba since then.
Daniel has performed many new musical works by various composers. He is known for conducting the first performances of several pieces. These include Dominique Le Gendre's Le Génie Humain for Orchestra and Fred Onovwerosuoke's Meditation for Darfur. He also conducted the first American performance of Giya Kancheli's Night Prayers.
Championing Diverse Music
Marlon Daniel is well-known for promoting music by composers of African descent. In 2016, he founded the Festival International de Musique Saint-Georges. He continues to be the artistic and music director of this festival. He is recognized worldwide as one of the best interpreters of the music of Chevalier de Saint-Georges. He also served as the first music director of the Colour of Music Festival in Charleston, South Carolina.
He is a member of Mu Phi Epsilon, which is an international professional music fraternity. He also helps lead the fraternity's International Committee.
Awards and Recognition
Marlon Daniel has received many awards for his musical talents:
- Prizewinner "Special Talent Award" at the 2018 Bucharest Symphony Orchestra, International Conducting Competition
- International Saint-Georges Award 2011
- Global Association of Women for the Arts, Dove Award for Outstanding Artistic Contributions to Cultural and Humanitarian Causes 2010
- John and Mary Virginia Foncannon Conducting Award 2009
- United Nations Voice of the Artist Award 2008
- James and Lola Faust Fellowship 2007
- Yvar Mikhashoff Trust for New Music – Award recipient 2003
- Hazel Scott Memorial Prize for Outstanding Musical Achievement 2003
- Mabel Henderson Memorial Grant for Foreign Experience 2001
- Capitol Region Foundation Grant for Arts in Education 2001
- Rose Hanus Fellowship – Recipient 1998
- North Shore Music Competition – Winner 1987
- NAACP National ACT-SO Competition – Winner 1986
- Key to the City of Chicago – Recipient 1986
Music Recordings
Marlon Daniel's recordings include:
- Ravel: Piano Concertos and Orchestra Works
- Phoenix Forever (Music of Hampson Sisler) MSR Classics 1389
- The Second Coming (Music of Hampson Sisler) MSR Classics forthcoming 2013
