BIOGRAPHY
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Maestri Gianluigi Gelmetti, Jorma Panula, Peter Gülke, Imre Pallo, James Lockhart, Harry Spence Lyth and flautists Sir James Galway, Julia Fekete-Berky, William Bennett, Paul Edmund-Davies, Janet Webb, Alison Mitchell, Vernon Hill, Mike Mower and Don Burrows have all been pedagogues of Daniel Smith.
Semi-finalist and most voted candidate on the internet in the 2009 Malko International Conducting Competition and winner of the Helpmann Awards 2009 Brian Stacey Conducting Prize, Daniel was Assistant Conductor to Maestro Gianluigi Gelmetti from 2005 to 2009 (with the Sydney Symphony, Orchestra della Toscana, Opéra Monte Carlo and Rome Opera), Daniel has also conducted the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra - The National Orchestra of Sweden, the Danish National Symphony Orchestra (Denmark), the Junge Philharmonie Salzburg (Austria), the Festival Orchestra of Sofia (Bulgaria) and the Eminence Symphony Orchestra (Australia). He was awarded a Master of Music degree in Conducting after returning from the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg (University of Music and Dramatic Arts Mozarteum in Austria), Vysoká škola múzických umení v Bratislave (Academy of Performing Arts in Slovakia) and Accademia Musicale Chigiana Siena (Academy of Music Chigiana in Italy) where, on all occassions he was awarded their prestigious diplomas.
Voted the "Person To Watch in 2010" and "The Next Herbert von Karajan" by the Sydney Morning Herald, Daniel is one of Australia's only Fellows of the Trinity College London. He has been a finalist in the Sony Australian Music Awards (MusicOz) and prize-winner in the Master Performers Australia competition, held the position of principal flute with both the SBS Radio & Television Orchestra and Golden Kangaroos and was accepted into Cirque du Soleil's Talent Bank. He has recorded with ABC Classic FM, 2MBS-FM, Gonzo and Scarboro Music Productions and has worked on productions of Mozart's Cosi fan tutte, Puccini's Tosca, Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana, Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, Verdi's La traviata, Puccini's Fanciulla del West, Berg's Wozzeck, Puccini's La Rondine, Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier, Rossini's The Barber of Seville, Puccini's Suor Angelica and Wagner's The Flying Dutchman.
Daniel has been involved in music since first learning the flute at the age of 6, when his young, enthusiastic teacher had to hold up the end of his flute and work several of the keys as his fingers couldn't reach them. His performing career began at 11 when he won the Beethoven or Busk Classical Music Festival in Sydney. He went on to study at the Berky Music Academy for 15 years, performing at the Bartok Music Festival, and over the years has won more than 100 prizes in competitions. Among them have been the esteemed Sydney Symphony Stuart Challender Fund Scholarship, Australia Council for the Arts Music Scholarship, Ian Potter Cultural Trust Award, Sir David Martin Memorial Award, Sydney Directory of Music Teachers Senior Scholarship, Berky Music Academy Chamber Music Scholarship, Olive Silvester Scholarship, The Fred Blanks Award, The Alan Bellhouse Memorial Scholarship for Conducting and was also awarded both the Associate and Licentiate Diplomas in Music. For five years, he was honoured with a scholarship to the prestigious Accademia Musicale Chigiana, one of the world's finest music academies which also crafted the careers of Carlo Maria Giulini, Zubin Mehta, Claudio Abbado, Daniel Barenboim and Charles Dutoit, among others.
At 16, he guest-conducted the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (broadcast on Channel 9) and has also held sell-out recitals and concerts internationally. He has toured Austria, Denmark, England, France, Italy, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland. Meeting with David Helfgott, at his country property at age 12, was an absolute highlight. His advice being, "Start now, keep smiling!"
Daniel plays a handmade solid-silver Muramatsu flute with a handmade 14k gold Lehner headjoint.
