DANIEL LOPEZ
violinist | photographer | orchestra fixer | coffee roaster
About
As is the case with many musicians, I've lived and worked in many different places, both in my formative and professional years. Growing up in Geelong, I finished school at the age of 16 and started a degree in Medical Science before being convinced to pursue music at the Sydney Conservatorium, where I studied with Alex Todisecscu. I moved to Brisbane the following year with a partial scholarship to study with Spiros Rantos, at the University of Queensland, and completed my degree with a full scholarship at the University of Tasmania with Edwin Paling. I was fortunate in those years to have masterclasses with violinists like Wanda Wilkomerska, Jun Yi-Ma, Jennifer Pike, Ning Feng, Charles Castleman, Antje Weithaas and Jan Sedivka.
I was awarded a further scholarship during my Masters degree to study in London with David Takeno (Guildhall School of Music and Drama) and Gyorgy Pauk (Royal Academy of Music).
In 2010 I performed with a string quartet on a cruise ship for 6 months with Holland America Line. Following that contract I enlisted in the Singapore Defence Force to fulfil my National Service obligation, which I completed in 2012 having earned the rank of Sergeant.
I returned to Australia in 2012 and have since worked as a freelance violinist with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Opera Australia Orchestra, and Orchestra Victoria among some others. For 2 years I was concertmaster / violin 1 of the musical "Hamilton", and will be returning to the show in 2024. Other theatre shows I have performed in include My Fair Lady, Beauty and The Beast, Miss Saigon and Fiddler on The Roof.
Much of my work as a violinist has been for commercial productions, and my happiest place is in seeing the combination of high quality musicianship with high quality production.