User:Ggsmit/sandbox

Born on 30 April 1957 in [|Johannesburg], [|South Africa], Pieter Daniel went to [|Vienna] (Austria) and from there to Kassel in Germany as a one-year old where he started showing interest in the violin from his fourth year being influenced by his father’s affection of listening to violin music recordings and his mother’s natural talent for singing ([|Hanlie van Niekerk], leading soprano during the 1970’s at the [|Staatstheater Kassel]). His orchestral debut at 12 years of age was launched with the performance of the [|Mozart] Violin Concerto KV 218 in [|Frankfurt], Germany; it was followed with public appearances and the successful completion of the concert examination at the end of his studies at the [|Musikhochschule] in Frankfurt at age 19. One of his mentors whilst in Germany was [|Henryk Szeryng]. Thereafter he studied under [|Dorothy deLay] at the [|Juilliard] School of Music in New York. Apart from appearing regularly with the [|Johannesburg] and Cape (Town) Philharmonic Orchestra (South Africa), Daniel performed in nationwide tours of the US and Germany, appearing with leading orchestras of the world, including the [|National Symphony Washington], the [|St. Louis Symphony], Baltimore Symphony, German Radio Symphony Orchestras (NDR, SWR, SR), the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra,  the Royal Philharmonic and English Chamber Orchestra. He has performed in the Musikverein in Vienna, Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall in New York, Chicago Symphony Hall, the Salle Gaveau and Salle Pleyel in Paris, the Philharmonic Hall in Munich, the Old Opera Hall in Frankfurt, the Cologne Philharmonic Hall and the Tonhalle in Düsseldorf, many of those with world renowned soloists, including Nigel Kennedy and Mstislav Rostropovich. During an extended tour of the eastern United States with the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra (2000), Daniel made his conducting debut at the Avery Fisher Hall (as well as Irvine Auditorium (with Nigel Kennedy) in New York and at the Chicago Symphony Hall, as well as performing the Bach Double Concerto with Nigel Kennedy. He plays a Giuseppe Guarnerius violin dated 1738. His repertoire covers Bach to Alban Berg to Beatles. He was married to Elena Rostropovitch and has two sons from that marriage, Ivan and Sergei. Apart from playing the violin Daniel is also a conductor in his own right, having conducted orchestras in England, Germany and South Africa. He is a Professor at the Folkwang Hochschule in Essen, Germany where his master classes have contributed to the lives of many a budding violinist. Pieter Daniel is also an actor and composer. He acted in/composed music for The Berlin Affair (1985), Beethoven's Nephew (1985) and King Leopold's Ghost (2006) – he also contributed to Julie Andrews’ handling of the violin for her performance in ‘Duet for One’ (1987). Daniel frequently visits his home country South Africa, where apart from musical and personal interests; he can relax on his farm in the pristine high altitude mountains near the Sutherland Space Observatory.