Dan studied under the celebrated concert guitarist John Mills and took masterclasses with John Williams, David Russell and many others.
As a soloist, his performing career has taken him to Hungary, Brunei, Japan, The Czech Republic and France. He appeared in Saint David’s Hall Cardiff for a performance of Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez and has also toured with Welsh National Opera. He also plays the baroque guitar, having performed with many consorts and touring with The Consort de Danse Baroque acting as an accompanist for summer schools.
As a keen composer, arranger and writer Dan has composed and directed music for eight plays. He has won a number of web-hosted composition competitions including the freescores.com competition in 2014. His works and arrangements are published by Lathkill Music, Corda Music and ESG Music.
Whilst working at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Dan taught several visually-impaired students. In 2008, HRH Prince Charles visited the RWCMD and made a special request to meet Dan and learn more about this project. Later, Dan wrote and published an audio tutor,In Touch With Guitar,a five CD set. He has written a jazz chord tutor book and a book of 160 sight-reading exercises Prima Vista published by ESG Music. He taught and performed at The Stage and FestivalGuitare en Francein 2012 working alongside some of the world’s finest players and teachers includingEleftheria KotziaandGerard Abiton.
Dan taught at The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Academic, Guitar and Junior departments until 2010, when he moved to France with his family where he headed music studies at Bordeaux International School. As well as working at RCS he teaches guitar at the historic Ardvreck School in Crieff, Scotland.
Dan also loves creative writing and has written a humorous guide to living in France which was published in 2019.
Awards and achievements
- RWCMD Annual Prize on four occasions
- RWCMD Composition Prize
- Ernest and Doris Haigh Memorial Prize
- Worshipful Company of Musicians Silver Medal
- Freescores.com composition winner 2014
- Kilvington Guitar Orchestra Composition Competition winner
- Koelster Award winner for work with music in prisons
- Music books, compositions and arrangements published by Lathkill, Corda and ESG music
- Met HRH Prince Charles to discuss In Touch With Guitar for blind and visually-impaired musicians
- Two solo CD releases
- Guitarist for numerous recordings across styles (The Boo Hooray Theory, The Canton Café Orchestra, The Campanella Duo)