Biography
Daniel Wohl is a Paris-born composer who creates music that “blurs the line between electronic and acoustic instrumentation and seemingly melt both elements into a greater organic whole (WNYC).” He frequently collaborates with ensembles, artists, filmmakers and choreographers, bringing to life his vision for new music that connects the endless sonic possibilities of today's world with his classical compositional background. He has been called one of his generation’s “imaginative, skillful creators” (New York Times) with work that is “provocative and surprising” (NPR) and “beautiful...original” (Pitchfork).
In 2015, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra / Liquid Music, MASS MoCA, the Baryshnikov Art Center and the Indianapolis Music of Art co-commissioned the creation of Holographic, an album to be released on New Amsterdam Records in January 2016. Co-produced by Paul Corley (Oneohtrix Point Never, Ben Frost, Tim Hecker) the album will feature the Bang on a Can All-Stars, Mantra Percussion, Lucky Dragons, Mivos Quartet, Caroline Shaw (Roomful of Teeth), Olga Bell (Dirty Projectors) and Iktus Percussion.
Recent projects include a new work for string quartet and electronics commissioned by the German festival Donaueschinger Musiktage for the Calder Quartet; a new work for MOMA Ps1 featuring Caroline Shaw (Roomful of Teeth) and Olga Bell (Dirty Projectors); performances at the San Francisco Symphony Soundbox series, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's MusicNOW series; a commission from the Bang on a Can All-Stars through their People’s Commissioning Fund; a score for the surrealist indie film Elixir (a 2015 Berlinale selection) ; Cycles, a full length ballet score commissioned by Georgia Tech's Sonic Generator ensemble and the GLO ATL dance company; and a film score for The Color of Time, featuring James Franco, Jessica Chastain and Mila Kunis.
In 2013 Wohl made his New Amsterdam Records debut with Corps Exquis,a multimedia, chamber and electronics project created in conjunction with the TRANSIT new music ensemble and a collective of New York-based video artists. The album, featuring guest appearances by Julia Holter, Aaron Roche and Sõ Percussion, garnered widespread critical acclaim and was voted best album of 2013 by WNYC New Sounds listeners and included in NPR Music’s top 100 songs of 2013.
Wohl has worked with the American Symphony Orchestra, Albany Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony, the Bang on a Can All-Stars, the Calder Quartet, eighth blackbird, Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, California EAR Unit, New York Youth Symphony, So Percussion, and has collaborated with artists such as Julia Holter, Laurel Halo, and Son Lux. His music has been heard at Carnegie Hall, Webster Hall, Dia Beacon, Cincinnati Contemporary Art Center, Mass MoCA, Disney Hall’s REDCAT, the Chelsea Art Museum, MoMA, Arsenal de Metz (France), Warhol Museum, the MATA Festival, San Francisco Symphony (Soundbox), the Bang on a Can Marathon, Berlinale, the Ecstatic Music Festival, Rome Film Festival, River to River, Gaudeamus (Netherlands), Sacrum Profanum (Poland), NordKlang (Switzerland), as well as over media outlets such as NPR, PBS, WQXR, CANAL +, TFI and FRANCE 2. Wohl is also co-founder and co-curator for Sound / Source, an electroacoustic music festival held annually at MOMA Ps1.
Wohl’s work has received support from grants including New Music USA, Meet the Composer/Commissioning Music USA, the American Composers Forum / Jerome Foundation, C.A.P, the Barlow Endowment, MET Life Creative Connections, and the Brooklyn Arts Council. He has received awards from the Finale National Composers Competition, the Carlsbad Music Festival, NY Youth Symphony First Commission, the Society for New Music, four ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Awards, Music Now, ASCAP Plus, NY Look & Listen, and Music IX. Also active as an educator, Wohl has taught courses in composition, orchestration, and theory at Sarah Lawrence College and at Yale and has given talks at NYU, The New School, Brooklyn College, NYFA, Juilliard, and Amherst. He holds degrees from the Yale School of Music, Bard College and the University of Michigan, studying with composers David Lang, Martin Bresnick, Joan Tower, Ingram Marshall, Aaron Kernis, Bright Sheng, and William Bolcom.
Daniel Wohl’s music is published by G. Schirmer, Inc.
In 2015, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra / Liquid Music, MASS MoCA, the Baryshnikov Art Center and the Indianapolis Music of Art co-commissioned the creation of Holographic, an album to be released on New Amsterdam Records in January 2016. Co-produced by Paul Corley (Oneohtrix Point Never, Ben Frost, Tim Hecker) the album will feature the Bang on a Can All-Stars, Mantra Percussion, Lucky Dragons, Mivos Quartet, Caroline Shaw (Roomful of Teeth), Olga Bell (Dirty Projectors) and Iktus Percussion.
Recent projects include a new work for string quartet and electronics commissioned by the German festival Donaueschinger Musiktage for the Calder Quartet; a new work for MOMA Ps1 featuring Caroline Shaw (Roomful of Teeth) and Olga Bell (Dirty Projectors); performances at the San Francisco Symphony Soundbox series, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's MusicNOW series; a commission from the Bang on a Can All-Stars through their People’s Commissioning Fund; a score for the surrealist indie film Elixir (a 2015 Berlinale selection) ; Cycles, a full length ballet score commissioned by Georgia Tech's Sonic Generator ensemble and the GLO ATL dance company; and a film score for The Color of Time, featuring James Franco, Jessica Chastain and Mila Kunis.
In 2013 Wohl made his New Amsterdam Records debut with Corps Exquis,a multimedia, chamber and electronics project created in conjunction with the TRANSIT new music ensemble and a collective of New York-based video artists. The album, featuring guest appearances by Julia Holter, Aaron Roche and Sõ Percussion, garnered widespread critical acclaim and was voted best album of 2013 by WNYC New Sounds listeners and included in NPR Music’s top 100 songs of 2013.
Wohl has worked with the American Symphony Orchestra, Albany Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony, the Bang on a Can All-Stars, the Calder Quartet, eighth blackbird, Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, California EAR Unit, New York Youth Symphony, So Percussion, and has collaborated with artists such as Julia Holter, Laurel Halo, and Son Lux. His music has been heard at Carnegie Hall, Webster Hall, Dia Beacon, Cincinnati Contemporary Art Center, Mass MoCA, Disney Hall’s REDCAT, the Chelsea Art Museum, MoMA, Arsenal de Metz (France), Warhol Museum, the MATA Festival, San Francisco Symphony (Soundbox), the Bang on a Can Marathon, Berlinale, the Ecstatic Music Festival, Rome Film Festival, River to River, Gaudeamus (Netherlands), Sacrum Profanum (Poland), NordKlang (Switzerland), as well as over media outlets such as NPR, PBS, WQXR, CANAL +, TFI and FRANCE 2. Wohl is also co-founder and co-curator for Sound / Source, an electroacoustic music festival held annually at MOMA Ps1.
Wohl’s work has received support from grants including New Music USA, Meet the Composer/Commissioning Music USA, the American Composers Forum / Jerome Foundation, C.A.P, the Barlow Endowment, MET Life Creative Connections, and the Brooklyn Arts Council. He has received awards from the Finale National Composers Competition, the Carlsbad Music Festival, NY Youth Symphony First Commission, the Society for New Music, four ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Awards, Music Now, ASCAP Plus, NY Look & Listen, and Music IX. Also active as an educator, Wohl has taught courses in composition, orchestration, and theory at Sarah Lawrence College and at Yale and has given talks at NYU, The New School, Brooklyn College, NYFA, Juilliard, and Amherst. He holds degrees from the Yale School of Music, Bard College and the University of Michigan, studying with composers David Lang, Martin Bresnick, Joan Tower, Ingram Marshall, Aaron Kernis, Bright Sheng, and William Bolcom.
Daniel Wohl’s music is published by G. Schirmer, Inc.