Daniel was born in 1982 and began his musical career at the age of ten when he joined Lincoln Cathedral Choir, then under the directorship of acclaimed Organist and Master of Choristers Colin Walsh.

During his three years in the choir he recorded several CDs (including appearing as a soloist on 'Christmas Angels' for Priory Records) and made numerous live broadcasts for BBC Radio 3. Lincoln's choir was at that time regarded as one of the finest in the country and took part in several prestigious festivals, including the Son's of Clergy festival at St. Paul's Cathedral in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen.

Required to learn an instrument as part of his chorister training, Daniel took up clarinet at the age of eleven. He moved to Wells Cathedral School in 1995, one of only four specialist music schools in the country, and as well as singing in Wells Cathedral Choir for a brief period began studying clarinet as his specialist instrument with Dr. Kevin Murphy. It was during this time that Daniel decided that he would aim to be a professional clarinet player, exposed to clarinettists such as David Campbell and Professor Howard Klug.

In 2001 Daniel took up a place at the Royal Academy of Music in London, studying clarinet with Angela Malsbury of the London Mozart Players, Nicholas Rodwell of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden Orchestra and bass clarinet and saxophone with Richard Addison of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He graduated in 2005 with a first class final recital mark and a foundation award.

Daniel moved to Birmingham Conservatoire in September 2005 to study with Timothy Lines and Michael Harris on the Conservatoire's most distinguished performance course, the Advanced Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Performance, which he completed with a commendation. In 2008 he also gained a commendation in the Conservatoire's new Masters course for bass clarinet, studying with Paolo De Gaspari and Mark O'Brien

Masterclasses

As well as studying with many of the country's leading teachers, Daniel has also taken part in many masterclasses with artists including Andrew Marriner, Sabine Meyer, Alan Hacker, Joan Enric Lluna, Michael Collins, Antony Pay, Mark van de Wiel, Henri Bok, and Julian Farrell.

Orchestral Playing

Daniel has trained with many of the UK's leading orchestras. Selected for the training schemes of the London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra he has also worked with conductors including Sir Colin Davis, Sir Charles Mackerras, Oliver Knussen, Thierry Fischer, Vernon Handley, Alexander Polianichko and Sakari Oramo.

He has performed as a member of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, the Cheltenham Festival Academy Players and the Britten-Pears Orchestra, with which he has performed at the Aldeburgh Festival and Snape Proms. He has also taken part at the Spitalfields Festival as part of the RAM Symphonic Wind Ensemble, which was broadcast on BBC Radio 3, and was part of the RAM orchestra which backed Sir Elton John and James Newton-Howard at a gala performance at the Royal Opera House in 2002.    

Competitions

In 2004 Daniel was national finalist and runner-up in the British Lions International Music Prize. 2006 saw him win the Ireland Chamber Music Prize with pianist Wan-Ju Hsueh and also the woodwind section of both the Symphony Hall Recital Prize and the Ludlow Philharmonic Concerto Prize. 2007 brought 1st prize in the Sylvia Cleaver Chamber Music Prize, playing the Messiaen Quartet for the End of Time and Birmingham Chamber Music Society's Derek Young Memorial Award. He has twice been nominated for the NYOS Staffa Award and twice a finalist in the Birmingham Conservatoire Woodwind Prize.