about
Two time Chalmers-award winner Daniel Bard was born in Haifa, Israel, where he began his violin studies. He moved with his family to Toronto in 1990 and then studied with David Zafer. He also worked with Lorand Fenyves in Toronto, Peter Oundjian in the US, and David Takeno in London, U.K.
Daniel co-founded Trio Mondrian, a group that played together from 2007-2019. The trio received first prize at the 2007 International Chamber Music Competition in Trieste, Italy, and performed in prestigious venues including Wigmore Hall, Concertgebouw and La Fenice in Venice. Trio Mondrian has been named a BBT fellowship winner in 2009. Daniel is also a founding member of the Israeli Chamber Project, a chamber group active in both Israel and the USA.
One of the biggest passions of Daniel is the chamber orchestra. He has been invited by Tabea Zimmermann to guest lead Camerata Bern, and since then directed numerous projects with Sweden’s Camerata Nordica and Norway’s Norwegian Chamber Orchestra. He was principal violist of the Amsterdam Sinfonietta from 2009 to 2016. In 2017, Daniel became concertmaster of the Basel Chamber Orchestra in Switzerland where he performed “Meta Arca” by Heinz Holliger with the composer conducting. In April 2018 Daniel performed the Dutch premiere of John Woolrich’s “Ulysses Awakes” with the Amsterdam Sinfonietta. Recently, Daniel has been invited by Iván Fischer to be guest concertmaster of the Budapest Festival Orchestra.
Equally at home as a violinist and violist, Daniel is invited to play chamber music concerts all across Europe and Israel. He has collaborated with artists such as Menahem Pressler, Antje Weithaas, Shmuel Ashkenzi, Tabea Zimmermann, and performed in festivals such as Prussia Cove, Musikdorf Ernen and Peasmarsh Music Festival.
Lastly, Daniel enjoys greatly sharing his passion for music-making with the next generation. He has lead both instrumental and chamber music classes at the Amsterdam Conservatory and at the chamber music sessions of the Jerusalem Music Centre.
Daniel plays on a 2020 violin made by Paul Belin from Maintal and a James Tubbs bow generously gifted to him by the late Bud Beyer, a great and inspiring mentor.
"The notes I handle no better than
many pianists. But the pauses between
the notes - ah, that is where the art resides.”
Arthur Schnabel
photo by Matthias Müller
gallery
Appointed leader since 2017