Based in Kansas City, MO
Website: danmorel.com
“The mountains and other natural environments of my Colorado upbringing hold a dear place in my music. The intricacies and majesty of everyday natural phenomena are a part of my work. Nature becomes a part of what my music depicts or serves as the feature of site-specific works that play with space and resonance.”
Biography
Daniel Morel is a Kansas City-based composer who energizes his music with spectral lyricism. Garnering commissions and performances across the United States, his music reflects myriad literary and natural interests. His works are permeated with the Western sensibilities of his Colorado upbringing, drawing on influences ranging from prairie thunderstorms to classic American poetry.
Mr. Morel has received awards and honors from the Mizzou New Music Initiative, Byrdcliffe Guild, the City of Hartford, the Hartt School, the Longfellow Chorus, and the Colorado State Music Teacher’s Association, among others. Recent premieres include the Cherry Creek Chorale, Hartford Opera Theater, and Seasons Festival Orchestra.
Mr. Morel holds degrees from Bucknell University (BA); The Hartt School, University of Hartford (MM, AD); and University of Missouri-Kansas City (MM, DMA). Performance details and further information are available at www.danmorel.com.
Work Samples
Winter Quartet (2012) for flute, clarinet, violin, cello. Performed by The Playground Ensemble.
“Winter Quartet is an evocation of pristine winter landscapes through musical gesture. Four brief movements explore shimmering timbres and spectral interplay between flute, clarinet, violin, and cello.”
Excerpts from Kansas City Calling (2016) for site-specific performance. Recorded in 2017.
“Kansas City Calling was an evening-length musical happening that evoked both the bustling past and thriving current day of this Midwestern metropolis. Musicians wandered the rooftop park of Prairie Logic with ambient hums, antiphonal calls, and spoken texts to build a soundscape wafting over the skyline.”