Hometown:
Oak Park, IL
Education:
The Curtis Institute of Music (Bachelors)
Daniel Benedict began studying the harp at the age of 8. He grew up in Oak Park, Illinois, studying under Marcia Labella, and playing in The Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras. He currently attends The Curtis Institute of Music and is studying with Elizabeth Hainen. In his free time, he likes playing sports, going for walks, eating good food (and sometimes cooking it), and getting great amounts of sleep.
What is something interesting that people may not know about you?
I am the youngest of 6 children. Back home I have 3 chickens and two cats. I actually wanted to go to college as an athlete until one year before college.
Name three of your favorite composers:
Maurice Ravel, Claude Debussy, Franz Liszt
When taking a break from music-making, what is your favorite thing to do?
Sports-table tennis, badminton, soccer, volleyball. Also other miscellaneous games like chess and some video games.
What are you most looking forward to this summer with the NRO?
I hope to become extremely comfortable and confident playing with an orchestra. I also want to be able to make music as a whole with others better.