“In our ever-changing world of music, today’s young composers have to take an entrepreneurial approach to their craft. One of the most enterprising of these is Daniel Knaggs…”
–Choir & Organ Magazine (UK)
DANIEL KNAGGS is a composer whose music is commissioned and performed across the globe. In 2022 alone, his music was performed in Singapore, Australia, Latvia, Poland, Estonia, Italy, England, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Portugal, the Czech Republic, and throughout the USA. After living in Mexico, Nicaragua, and France, and having studied six foreign languages, he continues to explore the interplay between music and linguistics while maintaining an international outlook in his work. He loves evoking vivid imagery in his music, as well as focusing his efforts into projects such as his 50-year Ave Maria Project (2005-2054) and his “After” Motets Project. His works are published by Edition Peters, Hal Leonard, Walton, GIA, E. C. Schirmer, Cadenza Music (UK), and Morcelliana (Italy).
Knaggs’ music has received a number of awards in the USA and abroad. His composition To everything a seasonwon the 2019 Noël Minet Prize at the Marktoberdorf International Chamber Choir Competition (Germany), and his compositions were awarded first prize in the 2012 David Maria Turoldo Composer Competition (Italy), the 2011 International Musica Sacra Competition (Poland), and the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir’s 2010 International Commission Competition (USA). Knaggs’ music also won first prize in both the Michigan and Illinois State Music Teachers Associations’ competitions (2011, 2012), and he was named a finalist for the American Prize (2015), the SCI/ASCAP Commission Competition (2014), The Young New Yorkers’ Chorus Composer Competition (2011), and the Minnesota Choral Arts Ensemble Commissioning Competition (2010).
Increasingly sought after as a composer, Knaggs has recently been commissioned by the 2023 Puccini Chamber Opera Festival (Italy), the Choir of Trinity College Cambridge, VOCES8, Wells Cathedral Choir, Choir & Organ Magazine/The Choir of Royal Holloway, Kinetic Ensemble, The Wooster Symphony Orchestra, The Houston Chamber Choir, Houston Children’s Chorus, the Yale Norfolk Summer Choral Festival, The University of Michigan Chamber Choir, Chorus Angelorum, The Benedict XVI Institute, Texas Tech University Choir, the Iowa State Singers, Vicennium Void, South Bend Chamber Singers, Musiqa of Houston, Da Camera Young Artist Program, Te Deum Chamber Choir, the 2021 Musica Vera Festival in Toruń, Poland.
Performers of his work include the Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra, the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra (Bulgaria), the Bellas Artes Chamber Orchestra (Mexico City), the Tokyo Cantat Festival (Japan), the Vancouver Chamber Choir (Canada), Ars Nova Coral da UFMG (Brazil), Le Madrigal de Lille (France), Ensemble à ContreVoix (Canada), the Polish Chamber Choir (Poland), Crakow Singers (Poland), Schola Cantorum Toruensis (Poland), Warsaw-Praga Cathedral Choir (Poland), Jauna Muzika (Lithuania), Fusion Vocal Ensemble (Australia), Polyphonic Voices (Australia), the Choir of Trinity College Melbourne (Australia), The Choir of Trinity College Cambridge (UK), The Choir of Royal Holloway (UK), the Metropolitan Cathedral Choir of Liverpool (UK), Coro de Câmara do Conservatório de Cascais (Portugal), the Houston Chamber Choir, the Northwestern University Brass Ensemble, the San Antonio Chamber Choir, Pacific Lutheran University Choir of the West, the Basilica Choir of the National Shrine, the American Creators’ Chorus, the University of Michigan Orpheus Singers and Chamber Choir, Choral Arts Initiative, Third Millenium Ensemble, Xanthos Ensemble, Great Noise Ensemble, Young New Yorkers’ Chorus, Rice University Campanile Orchestra, Coenobium Vocale and I Piccoli Musici (Italy), Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, Deciduous Trio, Audivi Vocem, Indiana University NOTUS choir, Cor Cantiamo, and the Donald Sinta Quartet.
Knaggs completed his doctorate in music composition (2017) at the Shepherd School of Music (Rice University) and his master’s degree in music composition at Bowling Green State University in 2009, and graduated in 2007 from the University of Michigan with bachelor’s degrees in voice performance and Spanish. His composition teachers include Bright Sheng, Marilyn Shrude, Karim Al-Zand, Pierre Jalbert, and Arthur Gottschalk, and Daniel has taken master-classes with William Bolcom, Chen Yi, David Lang, Stephen Hartke, and Sir James MacMillan. Daniel was a full-time Spanish teacher from 2009-2012 and has taught at the College of Wooster, Rice University, and Bowling Green State University and is now Artistic Director of the new Poland-based professional choir Ensemble Invocatio which he founded in 2022.
AWARDS and HONORS
2023 – Jury Member, 4th International Choral Composition Competition “padre David Maria Turoldo”, Italy
2022 – Luigi Boccherini Scholarship, Puccini International Opera Composition Course, Lucca, Italy
2021 – Runner-up, NYDAI 4th International “New Vision” Composition Competition in memory of Krzysztof Penderecki, String Quartet No. 2, II. Chasing After Wind
2019 – ASCAP Plus Award, Concert Music Division
2019 – Noël Minet Prize – Marktoberdorf International Chamber Choir Competition, for Pacific Lutheran University Choir of the West’s performance of Of Time and Passing – II. To everything a season, Germany
2017 – NextNotes High School Composition Teacher Award
2017 – Paul and Cristiane Cooper Prize in Music Composition for Floodgates
2015 – Finalist, The American Prize (choral division)
2014 – Finalist, SCI/ASCAP Commission Competition
2013-14 – Young Artist Composer in Residence, Da Camera Houston
2013 – Bertha Mallard Scholarship for Music Composition, Shepherd School of Music
2013 – First prize, First International Composer Competition, Foundation for Sacred Music Composers
2013 – ASCAPlus Award, Concert Music Division
2012 – Shinik Hahm Prize, Shepherd School of Music
2012 – First prize, 1st International Musica Sacra Composer Competition “David Maria Turoldo”, Italy
2012 – Illinois State Music Teachers Association Composer Commissioning Program – 2012 commissioned composer
2012 – ASCAPlus Award, Concert Music Division
2011 – First prize, International Musica Sacra Competition, Poland
2011 – First place, Michigan Music Teachers Association Commission Competition
2011 – Second place, Third Millenium Ensemble Composer Competition
2011 – Finalist, Young New Yorkers Chorus Composer Competition
2011 – ASCAPlus Award, Concert Music Division
2010 – First and Third prize, International Composer Competition (non-liturgical category), Foundation for Sacred Arts
2010 – Second and Third prize, International Composer Competition (liturgical category), Foundation for Sacred Arts
2010 – Winner, International Commission Competition, Indianapolis Symphonic Choir
2010 – Triple Winner, Boston Metro Opera’s 2011 Contemporary Americana Festival
2010 – Finalist/honorable mention, Commissioning Competition, Minnesota Choral Arts Ensemble
2010 – Distinguished Thesis Award, Bowling Green State University
2010 – ASCAPlus Award, Concert Music Division
2009 – Winner, Centenary Hymn Competition, Diocese of Toledo
2009 – ASCAPlus Award, Concert Music Division
COMMISSIONS
2024 – TBA new work for choir, Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Joshua Haberman, cond., Santa Fe, NM
2022 – TBA new chamber opera, 2023 Puccini Chamber Opera Festival, Lucca, Italy
2022 – TBA new major work for choir, soloists, and chamber orchestra, Holy Rosary Church, Houston, TX
2021 – Populus Sion after Heinrich Isaac for the Choir of First Presbyterian Church, Eric Gastier, cond., Wooster, OH
2021 – Ave Maria No. 17 for the Warsaw-Praga Cathedral Choir, Paweł Łukaszewski, cond., Warsaw, Poland
2021 – Coups de Vent for violin and piano, St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Wooster, OH
2021 – Darkness to Light, Bluefield College Centennial celebrations, John Moir, cond., Bluefield, VA
2021 – Bagatelle for solo violin, Latitude49/Tim Steeves, violin, Vancouver, Canada
2020 – Dwa Zdroje – Two Streams, for the Musica Vera Festival, Toruń, Poland
2020 – Popule Meus after Victoria for the Benedict XVI Institute, San Francisco, CA
2020 – Time Capsule for the Wooster Symphony Orchestra, Wooster, OH
2020 – Ave Maria No. 16 for Chorus Angelorum, Edmund Murray, cond., Houston, TX
2020 – O nata lux after Tallis for the Yale Norfolk Festival Choral Workshop, Simon Carrington, director, Litchfield, CT
2019 – Psalm 119 for Trinity College Choir, Stephen Layton, cond., Cambridge, UK
2019 – O Vos Omnes (after Mantua) for the Yale Norfolk Festival Choral Workshop, Simon Carrington, director
2019 – Ave Maria No. 15 – Domina Nostra Annuntiatione for Annunciation Catholic Church (150 year Anniversary), Houston, TX
2018 – Ave Maria No. 14 – Regina Angelorum for Wells Cathedral Choir, Matthew Owens, cond., Wells, UK
2018 – Ego Sum Panis (after Manchicourt) for the Yale Norfolk Festival Choral Workshop, Simon Carrington, director
2018 – Nunc dimittis for the Houston Children’s Chorus, Stephen Roddy, cond., Houston, TX
2017 – Magnificat for the Houston Children’s Chorus, Stephen Roddy, cond., Houston, TX
2017 – Hymn to St. Cecilia (SATB + organ), for Choir and Organ Magazine/ the Choir of Royal Holloway, Rupert Gough, cond., London, UK
2017 – Ave Maria No. 13 – Regina Caeli (after Guerrero) for the Yale Norfolk Festival Choral Workshop, Simon Carrington, director
2016 – Of Time and Passing (3 pieces for choir), VOCES8, London, UK
2016 – Ave Maria No. 12 – Porta Caeli, Houston Chamber Choir, Robert Simpson, cond.
2016 – Psalm 100 – Co-commission: Texas Tech University Choir and Iowa State Singers
2016 – Awaiting the Dawn (orchestra), Campanile Orchestra, Jerry Hou, cond., Houston, TX
2015 – Two Columns at Sea (string orchestra), Kinetic: The Conductorless Ensemble, Natalie Lin, leader, Houston, TX
2015 – Numberless Stars (polychoral work), Kingwood High School choirs, Jason Watt, director, Houston, TX
2015 – Ave Maria No. 11 – Virgo Tepeyac (SATB choir + soprano solo) – Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
2014 – Ancient Ruins (piano quartet), Vicennium Void, Houston, TX
2014 – Ave Maria No. 10 “Virgo Serena” (SSATB choir + string orchestra) South Bend Chamber Singers, Nancy Menk, cond., South Bend, IN
2014 – Come Unto Me (SA choir), choristers of Jesus College, Mark Williams, cond., University of Cambridge, UK
2014 – Nebula (flute and electronics), Aaron Perdue, flute, Houston, TX
2013 – Midtown Music (brass sextet), Musiqa, Houston, TX
2013 – Resoundings (3 movements for viola and harp), Da Camera of Houston, TX
2013 – Joseph, Son of David (SATB choir), Trinity College Choir, Stephen Layton, cond., University of Cambridge, UK
2013 – Eventide (viola and saxophone), Jarita Ng and Joseph Girard, MI
2013 – Twilight Songs (3 songs for soprano and piano), Anna Cavaliero, London, UK
2013 – Mysterium (SATB choir), Te Deum, Matthew Shepard, cond., Kansas City, MO
2013 – Sunset (SATB choir), University of Michigan Chamber Choir, Jerry Blackstone, cond., Ann Arbor, MI
2013 – Hear My Voice (SATB choir), Cor Cantiamo, Eric A. Johnson, cond., Michigan Festival of Sacred Music, MI
2012 – Generations (5 movements for pierrot + percussion), Illinois State Music Teachers Association, IL
2011 – Streams (string quartet), Michigan Music Teacher’s Association, MI
2011 – Iucnda Lux (SSAATTBB choir), Young New Yorkers Chorus, Michael Kerschner, cond., New York, NY
2011 – Anastasis (violin and piano), St. Anastasia Parish’s Art for God’s Sake Festival, Troy, MI
2010 – Quem Pastores Laudavere (SSAATTBB choir), Eric Stark, cond., Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, IN
2008 – Three Nature Songs (for soprano and pierrot + percussion), Xanthos Ensemble, Boston, MA
Click here to read an article about Daniel’s music, found in the September/October 2017 issue of Choir & Organ Magazine (UK).
Click here to read the German magazine Chorzeit’s full-page review of Daniel’s Trois Chansons in the original German or here to read it in English translation.
Click here to read the UK magazine Organists’ Review writeup about Daniel’s Magnificat and Nunc dimittis.
