Australia Gutiarist Dan McKay

Active in both guitar education and performance, Daniel has studied extensively in both these areas with two of Australia’s most highly respected guitar teachers, Greg Pikler and Timothy Kain, as well as master classes with John Williams, Remi Boucher, Maximo Diego-Pujol and Pavel Steidl. Under Timothy Kain’s guidance Daniel graduated from the Australian National University School of Music with a Bachelor of Music (1st Class Honours) and subsequently attained the degree of Master of Music (Hons).

Daniel has been a major prizewinner in many competitions, including the 2002 Australian Guitar Competition, and has been heard in numerous live and pre-recorded broadcasts for ABC radio in solo (including his prizewinning performance in the Australian Guitar Competition), duo and quartet performances. In recent years Daniel has given many solo and chamber music recitals in most of the capital cities and regional centres of Australia.

A solo CD featuring works of Dusan Bogdanovic, Leo Brouwer, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Alexandre Tansman and Astor Piazzolla has just been released. A disc of works by Australian composers is in preparation, due for release in 2005.

Daniel is considered one of Australia’s finest guitarists of the younger generation. This, along with his interest in contemporary Australian music and considerable ensemble playing skills, led in 1998 to an invitation to join Guitar Trek, widely recognised as among the very best of Australia’s chamber ensembles. Engagements have included several recitals for Musica Viva, the Sydney Festival, the Canberra International Chamber Music Festival, the Darwin International Guitar Festival, highly successful tours of Europe in 1999 and 2002, and a tour of Vietnam in March this year.