While drawing inspiration from the music of earlier centuries, composer Daniel Bradshaw writes music which lives undeniably in the present. He has written in a variety of styles and genres, from large orchestral works to interactive electronic pieces. His music has been described as "simply beautiful," "stunning," and "display[ing] a keen sense of orchestration and an imaginative style." His orchestral work, Chaconne, was recently featured on Performance Today as performed by the Minnesota Orchestra under the baton of Music Director Osmo Vänskä. Through a recent commission from the Barlow Endowment, Dan wrote Delights and Shadows, a song cycle on texts by Ted Kooser which was premiered in venues across the US by Metropolitan Opera singer Ariel Bybee and violinist Alison Dalton of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Current projects include Osanna, Alleluia for choir and a newly commissioned work for Ignace Jang, concertmaster of the Honolulu Symphony.
Professional honors include awards from the American Music Center (Composer Assistance Program Grant), the Minnesota Orchestra, the Barlow Endowment for Music Composition, the American Composers Orchestra, and the Dean’s Prize in Orchestral Composition from Indiana University.
Dan received his doctoral degree in Music Composition from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music where he studied with Claude Baker, Sven-David Sandström and David Dzubay. He currently serves as Assistant Professor at Brigham Young University Hawaii in La’ie, Oahu where he conducts the string orchestra and teaches music theory, history and composition. He enjoys stargazing, scuba diving and braving the waves with his wife and four adventurous children.