Nicholas Daniel OBE (born 9 January 1962) is a British oboist and conductor. In 2003 he was appointed Artistic Director of the Leicester International Music Festival.
He was educated at Salisbury Cathedral School and the Purcell School.
Teaching posts
Daniel was Professor of Oboe at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama for ten years, then in 1997 became Professor of Oboe and Conducting at the Indiana University School of Music. He then was invited to be Prince Consort Professor of Oboe at the Royal College of Music in London. In 2004, he was named Professor of Oboe at the Musikhochschule in Trossingen, Germany.
Performing ensembles
Nicholas Daniel is a founding member of the Haffner Wind Ensemble and Britten Sinfonia, and formed a duo with pianist Julius Drake in 1981
As Principal Oboe of Britten Sinfonia, Daniel has frequently appeared as a member of the orchestra and also as a soloist/director. In 2009 Britten Sinfonia released its first own label recording, which features Nicholas Daniel in John Tavener's Songs of the Sky.
In September 2021 Daniel was appointed as Artistic Director and Principal Conductor for the Orion Orchestra.
Commissions
Daniel has commissioned and premiered many new works for the oboe, to increase its status as a solo instrument. Such works include:
The Kingdom of Dreams by John Woolrich (1989)
Double Concerto by Simon Bainbridge (1990)
An Interrupted Endless Melody by Harrison Birtwistle (1991)
First Grace of Light by Peter Maxwell Davies (1991)
Helios by Thea Musgrave (1994)
Oboe Concerto by John Woolrich (1996)
Oboe Quintet by John Woolrich (1998)
Oboe Concerto by Nigel Osborne (1998)
Three Capriccios for solo oboe by John Woolrich (2001)
Two's Company by Thea Musgrave (2005)
The Fabric of Dreams by Michael Zev Gordon (2006)
Kaleidoscopes by John Tavener (2006)
Sorella by Rory Boyle (2007).
Oboe Concerto by James MacMillan (2010).
Recordings
Daniel has recorded many albums, both solo work and chamber music, such as:
Alwyn oboe concerto
Alwyn Chamber works
Alwyn Chamber works vol 2
Alwyn Orchestral works
Arnold Orchestral works: Fantasia Conifer
Berkeley oboe concerto
Bliss Chamber works
Finzi Orchestral works: Eclogue
Finzi, Howells, Patterson works for oboe & piano
Horovitz oboe concerto
Elena Langer Landscape With Three People
Martinu Sinfonia Concertante
Moeran Fantasy Quartet
Mozart Sinfonia Concertante in E flat
Mozart Wind Concertos
Mozart Chamber works
Thea Musgrave Helios; Memento Vitae
Strauss Sinfonia no 2; oboe concerto
Woolrich The Ghost in the Machine
French Chamber Music for Woodwinds
French Oboe Sonatas
Five Italian Oboe Concertos
Oboe Alone
Oboe Sonatas with Julius Drake
Vaughan Williams and MacMillan oboe concertos
Nicholas Daniel OBE (born 9 January 1962) is a British oboist and conductor. In 2003 he was appointed Artistic Director of the Leicester International Music Festival.
He was educated at Salisbury Cathedral School and the Purcell School.
Teaching posts
Daniel was Professor of Oboe at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama for ten years, then in 1997 became Professor of Oboe and Conducting at the Indiana University School of Music. He then was invited to be Prince Consort Professor of Oboe at the Royal College of Music in London. In 2004, he was named Professor of Oboe at the Musikhochschule in Trossingen, Germany.
Performing ensembles
Nicholas Daniel is a founding member of the Haffner Wind Ensemble and Britten Sinfonia, and formed a duo with pianist Julius Drake in 1981
As Principal Oboe of Britten Sinfonia, Daniel has frequently appeared as a member of the orchestra and also as a soloist/director. In 2009 Britten Sinfonia released its first own label recording, which features Nicholas Daniel in John Tavener's Songs of the Sky.
In September 2021 Daniel was appointed as Artistic Director and Principal Conductor for the Orion Orchestra.
Commissions
Daniel has commissioned and premiered many new works for the oboe, to increase its status as a solo instrument. Such works include:
The Kingdom of Dreams by John Woolrich (1989)
Double Concerto by Simon Bainbridge (1990)
An Interrupted Endless Melody by Harrison Birtwistle (1991)
First Grace of Light by Peter Maxwell Davies (1991)
Helios by Thea Musgrave (1994)
Oboe Concerto by John Woolrich (1996)
Oboe Quintet by John Woolrich (1998)
Oboe Concerto by Nigel Osborne (1998)
Three Capriccios for solo oboe by John Woolrich (2001)
Two's Company by Thea Musgrave (2005)
The Fabric of Dreams by Michael Zev Gordon (2006)
Kaleidoscopes by John Tavener (2006)
Sorella by Rory Boyle (2007).
Oboe Concerto by James MacMillan (2010).
Recordings
Daniel has recorded many albums, both solo work and chamber music, such as:
Alwyn oboe concerto
Alwyn Chamber works
Alwyn Chamber works vol 2
Alwyn Orchestral works
Arnold Orchestral works: Fantasia Conifer
Berkeley oboe concerto
Bliss Chamber works
Finzi Orchestral works: Eclogue
Finzi, Howells, Patterson works for oboe & piano
Horovitz oboe concerto
Elena Langer Landscape With Three People
Martinu Sinfonia Concertante
Moeran Fantasy Quartet
Mozart Sinfonia Concertante in E flat
Mozart Wind Concertos
Mozart Chamber works
Thea Musgrave Helios; Memento Vitae
Strauss Sinfonia no 2; oboe concerto
Woolrich The Ghost in the Machine
French Chamber Music for Woodwinds
French Oboe Sonatas
Five Italian Oboe Concertos
Oboe Alone
Oboe Sonatas with Julius Drake
Vaughan Williams and MacMillan oboe concertos