MUSE • Musicians United for Social Equity

Biography

Daniel Farias is a nineteen-year-old pianist from Miami, Florida. Daniel began taking piano lessons at age six with Sandra Davis. At age nine, he took lessons with world-renowned pianist Dr. Adam Aleksander until the age of ten. He was a member of Encore Academy of the Arts and was taught by its founder, Debora Sanchez, until the age of 18. He attended New World School of the Arts from 2018-2022. He is currently a sophomore at Florida State University, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance. His current teacher at FSU is Dr. Heidi Louis Williams. Daniel is also an Eagle Scout in Boy Scouts, Troop 811.

Daniel has been awarded with high praise from organizations all throughout Miami. He has earned ten consecutive “superior” ratings in the National Federation of Music Clubs Piano Festival. He was selected as a finalist in the 2020 Young Talents Showcase Concert organized by Kaleidoscope MusArt and received bronze at the 2^nd Annual Pacific Northwest Piano Competition that same year. He performed Haydn’s keyboard concerto in D major with the Coral Gables Orchestra in 2015, has held solo recitals and participated in several presentations with members of Encore Academy of the Arts. He has also been recognized by organizations such as the Miami Music Teachers Association and the Frost School of Music. He attended the Interlochen Arts Camp in the summer of 2021 and was accepted in the Florida Bandmasters Association All-State program for piano that same year. In 2022, Daniel played the piano in the soundtrack to the short film “As I Promised You”, composed by Walker Klauda, who was awarded the Silver Award for Best Original Score in the June 2022 Independent Shorts Awards.

In addition to being a classical pianist, Daniel is also an accomplished oboist and jazz pianist. He has earned three consecutive “superior” ratings in the Florida Bandmasters Association Solo and Ensemble Festival for oboe, additionally earning a “superior” rating for the State Solo and Ensemble Festival in 2021. He was also accepted into the New World Symphony’s Side-By-Side program in 2021 and 2022, under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas and Mei-Ann Chen, respectively. He was the principal oboist for the NWSA Symphony Orchestra and Wind Ensemble and has played alongside renowned artists such as tenor Russell Thomas and violinist Robert McDuffie. Daniel was a member of the Greater Miami Youth Symphony Jazz Band from 2017-2020. He performed live on 88.9 WDNA Jazz radio in December 2018 and in venues such as Pinecrest Gardens and Zoo Miami. He also performed in combo groups with NWSA students and guest artists such as guitarist Tim Jago and saxophonist Tivon Pennicott.

Daniel Farias has been influenced by a wide variety of classical and modern genres. Beginning in his freshman year at NWSA, he has obtained an admiration for contemporary classical music, of which his Wind Ensemble performed regularly. As a classical pianist, he is inspired by performing artists such as Evgeny Kissin, Daniel Barenboim and Arthur Rubinstein. He has also taken inspiration from jazz artists such as Chick Corea, Cory Henry, Oscar Peterson and Bill Evans. Daniel has also developed a large passion for musical theater and hopes to become a pianist on Broadway. His experience as a pit musician includes playing oboe, English horn and keyboard 2 in Side Show (2019), keyboard 2 in Parade (2020), and oboe and English horn in Ragtime (2022).