Daniel is from La Paz, Bolivia

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I am an enthusiastic media composer who enjoys collaborating with others to develop and produce audio and visual content for the public’s enjoyment.

I fuse my world music expertise with modern cinematic scores to create vibrant sonic stories that capture global audiences.

My Story:

“One of my earliest childhood memories in La Paz, Bolivia was watching my grandfather shave each Saturday morning. Part of his ritual was to put on a record of cueca, a traditional dance, and together we would listen to the rhythms of the charango and the wind-like chimes of the pan flutes as the notes drifted off our terrace and into the distant Andean range. I have not lost those songs of my childhood; they are the reason I first decided to learn traditional Bolivian folk music in order to celebrate and share my heritage. “

         

Daniel was born in La Paz, Bolivia, the highest capital city in the Western Hemisphere with an altitude of 11,942 feet above sea level. His earliest memories revolve around the folk music, which was played on a record player and radio in his grandparents’ home.

Daniel moved to New York City when he was five years old to be with his parents who had migrated to the United States.

Between 2010 and 2015, Daniel traveled to La Paz every winter (their summer) for three months in order to learn the Bolivian music on guitar and charango from various teachers including his uncle, Maestro Ernesto Cavour, the creator of the Museo de Instrumentos Musicales and one of Bolivia’s greatest, 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 2016, Daniel enrolled in Lehman College to earn his B.S. in Music. As an undergraduate, Daniel took composition lessons under distinguished professor John Corigliano and participated in the Jazz Ensemble, Chamber Orchestra, Percussion Ensemble, and String Quartet. In 2019, Daniel Graduated Phi Beta Kappa with Summa Cum Laude honors.

In 2020, Daniel completed a dual M. A. degree in Music History and Composition. Daniel’s Composition Thesis features a four moment orchestral piece, “To Launch a Thousand Ships.” The work was inspired by Madeline Miller’s novel The Song of Achilles (2012), which is a reimagined tale of the Trojan War.

Daniel has also completed Professional Certification in Composing and Orchestrating for Film and TV from Berklee School of Music. Daniel has worked in both production and post-production roles in the NYC film scene. As a media composer, Daniel is currently working on the soundtrack of Motives and Aftermaths, which is a project in pre-production.