Having worked in the NYC film industry for over a decade in both production and post-production roles, Daniel is a Film/TV composer with a specialty in orchestral scores and sound design. Score genres composed include drama, action/adventure, horror, sci-fi, comedy, and animation, and his oeuvre spans classical orchestra, world, and modern synthetic sounds. Daniel has produced both contemporary rock band and hip-hop tracks.
Daniel Silva is a film and multimedia composer in New York City. Daniel holds an M.A. in Composition & Music History from Hunter College and a Professional Certification in Film Scoring & Orchestration from Berklee School of Music.
Daniel is registered with ASCAP and a proud member of the Society of Composers and Lyricists (SCL), Academy of Scoring Arts (ASA), Alliance for Women Film Composers (AWFC), and Composers Diversity Collective (CDC).
His latest media compositions are available for listening.
Latest News
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Latest News 〰️
Hands That Speak
🎬✨ Thrilled to share my work on Hands That Speak, a short film submitted to the Russo Brothers Italian American Filmmaker Forum 2025 Fellowship! 🇮🇹🤝🎶
This powerful story follows Nico, a deaf Italian immigrant navigating work, acceptance, and a new life in the U.S. Through the beauty of Italian hand gestures, the film highlights themes of immigration, inclusivity, and cultural connection.
For the score, I used a small ensemble arrangement of the well-known Italian tune Tarantella Napoletana by Luigi Ricci (1805-1859). The piece comes from the opera buffa La festa di Piedigrotta (1852), which has largely fallen into obscurity, but its Tarantella Napoletana has endured, becoming a beloved piece of popular culture rooted in a much older folk tradition.
To bring a fresh perspective, I blended accordion, mandolin, violin, electric guitars, and even a jaw harp (what I’m holding in the photo — a fun nod to Italian childhood!). The goal was to honor tradition while elevating with a contemporary sound. 🎻🎸
Huge thanks to Flying Bee Production & Jack Boar Pictures, and to my friend Luigi Benvisto, who not only wrote and starred in the film but who also recently became a U.S. citizen! 🇺🇸
Excited to have been part of a project that uplifts diverse voices and celebrates the power of communication beyond words. 💙
🎶 Let me know what you think of the score! Would love to hear your thoughts! 🎥✨
Listen Below
As You Like It - Like That!
Feature Film Blog
Excited to be part of the composer team 🎶under Luis Alacan for the feature film 🎥 As You Like It – Like That! For this score, we blended acoustic and MIDI-based Latin American instruments 🪘to bring to life the journey of Caro, a Cuban-American director/actor in Miami. Torn between her childhood dream of staging a Shakespeare play and her ambition of becoming a Hollywood star, Caro faces a choice that defines her future.
This project allowed our composition team to reimagine the traditional son genre, using Cuban and Latin American instrumentation to enhance the storytelling. 🪇I’m incredibly grateful to Isabel Custer for crafting a story centered on a strong Latina protagonist 🎭and want to applaud Junet Morales for her stellar performance. ✨With its mix of comedy and heartfelt themes of perseverance and self-discovery, this film is truly special.
I’m also deeply grateful to all my Latin guitar and percussion instructors who gave me the tools to score a project like this!
The Birth of AI – A Sonic Journey into the Future
🚀 Out Now: The Birth of AI 🎵
We are living in an era where artificial intelligence is reshaping the world as we know it. From groundbreaking innovations to ethical debates, the rise of AI sparks curiosity, excitement, and a touch of uncertainty. My latest track, “The Birth of AI,” captures this very essence through sound.
The Inspiration Behind the Track
Set in 2025, as tech giants push innovation to new heights, this piece blends futuristic electronic sounds with pulsating rhythms to reflect the evolving relationship between humanity and technology. It’s not just a composition—it’s a story of discovery, innovation, and endless possibilities.
What to Expect
🎧 A fusion of electronic textures, driving beats, and atmospheric layers
🧠 A musical interpretation of AI’s rapid evolution and its impact on society
💡 A thought-provoking experience that invites you to reflect on what the future holds
Listen Now
Immerse yourself in “The Birth of AI” and be part of the conversation about the role of artificial intelligence in our world. Hit the link below to stream the track now!
Recollections of a City
During the pandemic, New York City felt like a different place—quieter, reflective, almost surreal. It was in this stillness that Recollections of a City was born. This piano ballad explores themes of memory and nostalgia, reflecting on how we perceive the past through a lens that is often imagined, altered, or romanticized.
New York has always been a city of contrasts—vibrant yet lonely, inspiring yet overwhelming. Over time, our memories of places and moments shift, shaped by emotions rather than exact details. In this piece, I sought to capture that sensation: the way a familiar street can feel like a dream, how a past experience can become more vivid or blurred with time.
Through flowing melodies and subtle harmonic shifts, Recollections of a City navigates my personal connection to the place I call home. It is both an homage and a reflection—an attempt to preserve the essence of a city that is constantly changing, just like our memories of it.
🎶 Listen to Recollections of a City
A Midwinter Dream: A Sonic Journey Through Time
Music has the power to transport us—to places, to emotions, and even to different eras. My latest composition, A Midwinter Dream, is an invitation to step through the veil of time and experience the winter season through the echoes of history.
At its heart, A Midwinter Dream is a reimagining of Veni Veni Emmanuel, an ancient plainchant that has been sung for centuries during the Christmas season at Vespers. The origins of this haunting melody date back as far as the 8th or 9th century, deeply rooted in the Christian tradition. Yet, winter celebrations have long been a convergence of cultures—where sacred traditions intertwined with pagan festivities like Yuletide and Saturnalia. This composition seeks to embrace that intersection, blending the reverence of the past with modern sonic landscapes.
Through a tapestry of choral harmonies, ambient textures, and delicate instrumentation, A Midwinter Dream unfolds like a memory—both familiar and distant. It is a reflection on the enduring spirit of the season, a meditation on the passage of time, and an homage to the voices that have sung these melodies for centuries.
I hope this piece resonates with listeners who appreciate atmospheric, seasonal music with deep cultural and historical roots. It is an offering—an invitation to pause, reflect, and connect with the timeless beauty of winter’s music.
I’d love for you to listen to A Midwinter Dream and share your thoughts. May this season bring you warmth, reflection, and a sense of wonder.
New Release: "Altiplano" – A Journey Through the High Andes
We are excited to announce the release of my latest single, Altiplano, a track that takes you on an immersive journey across the high-altitude regions of Bolivia. Inspired by the awe-inspiring landscapes and the hidden, natural energies of the Andean summit, this composition captures the essence of the remote and isolated places of our planet.
Through Altiplano, I invite you to explore the mystical forces that shape the environment in these forgotten corners of the world, where the connection to the Earth feels raw and powerful. The track blends traditional Andean sounds with ambient and cinematic elements, creating a rich auditory experience that transports the listener to the untouched beauty of the altiplano.
This piece is more than just a song; it's a sonic voyage. Whether you’re drawn to the landscapes of Bolivia or the power of nature, Altiplano invites you to feel the pulse of the earth from the peaks of the Andes. I hope it resonates with you as deeply as it has with me.
Listen to Altiplano now and immerse yourself in the journey.
The Arch of Triumph is a featured article on the Vault Lab Blog
In Pre-Production
The Showdown
Out Now On Spotify and all DSP’s
The Showdown is the opening title track for the film Motives and Aftermaths (currently in pre-production).
Film Score Reel
The following are my original scores applied to films in the public domain or released under the Creative Commons license.
The following is my original opening title score for Night of the Living Dead, which is in the public domain.
Night of the Living Dead was written and directed by George A. Romero and produced by Russell Streiner and Karl Hardman. An American Independent horror film released in 1968.
The following is my original score to the chase scene in Spring.
Spring was written and directed by Andreas Goralczyk and produced by Ton Roosendaal and Francesco Siddi. Spring is a Blender Studio film released in 2019 under the Creative Commons 4.0 license.
The following is my original score to the Closing Title in Spring.
Spring was written and directed by Andreas Goralczyk and produced by Ton Roosendaal and Francesco Siddi. Spring is a Blender Studio film released in 2019 under the Creative Commons 4.0 license.
Extending the Folk tradition
Between 2010 and 2015 I traveled to La Paz, Bolivia every winter (their summer) for three months in order to learn the Bolivian sound on guitar and charango from various teachers including my uncle, Ernesto Cavour, who is one of Bolivia’s musical cultural icons. Cavour is one of the founding members of the group Los Jairas who were at the forefront in establishing the folk revival scene in Bolivia and throughout South America in the 1960s. In a post-colonial Bolivia, Los Jairas turned away from using classical European instruments and embraced indigenous instruments such as the charango, keena (flute), and zamponia (pan flute). Los Jairas is the first Bolivian ensemble to tour the world, giving Europe and Asia the opportunity to experience Andean music live. The group fostered pride and acceptance in the Bolivian peoples’ indigenous roots, encouraging them to embrace their heritage, which ushered a shift in Bolivia’s arts and politics. Cavour established El Museo de Instrumentos Musicales de Bolivia, which holds one of the largest pre-colonial collections of ancient Bolivian instruments as well as musical instruction about traditional instruments. Under Cavour’s supervision, I learned to play the charango, a small five-stringed guitar, pan flutes, and folk guitar. After my lessons, I would spend the afternoons writing my own compositions for guitar, inspired by the country’s melancholic colonial past and the Bolivian people’s resilience in the face of adversity.
Sketches from my country
Five song sketches inspired by the landscapes of La Paz, Bolivia
Discography
Compositions for chamber ensemble, orchestra, and contemporary solo guitar.
So 18. AMch 264. Sonata [C] IV
An arrangement of an eighteenth century trio sonata from Concépcion, Bolivia for chamber orchestra. 
Max’s Melody - Da Capo Chamber Players
Composition Seminar at Lehman College for undergraduates. Da Capo Chamber players recorded student compositions.
Saturn’s Return
Ambient blues-rock solo guitar track