Daniel Bassin, Conductor
Daniel Bassin is an active conductor, composer, trumpeter and educator living in Buffalo, NY. In addition to serving as Music Director of Buffalo’s historic Unitarian Universalist Church since 2013, Dr. Bassin has recently joined the faculty of Canisius High School. Previous posts include Artistic Director of the Buffalo Master Chorale, 2017-2019; Orchestra Director for the University at Buffalo, 2010-2016, and Buffalo State College 2015-2017; Orchestra Librarian of the American Symphony Orchestra, 2005-2010; and Assistant Conductor for the Fall 2008 tour of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. He performs regularly as a trumpeter with the Claernce Summer Orchestra; Buffalo Brass Quintet; and Anderson Big Band, in addition to work as a soloist and clinician. Daniel received his initial training from Long Island public schools and at the Juilliard Pre-College, followed by the New England Conservatory and Bard College. He holds a PhD in Composition from the University at Buffalo.
During the fall of 2008, Daniel acted as assistant conductor for the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra’s 16-city tour of the American West Coast and Midwest, and in summer 2010 his string quartet Typographies II was performed by the Arditti Quartet at the June in Buffalo Festival. He had his debut conducting the Slee Sinfonietta, Buffalo’s professional new music chamber orchestra, in 2012, and in 2013 he was a featured conductor at the Ensemble Linea/Peter Eötvös master classes at France’s Royaumont Abbey. In November 2013, he had the honor of conducting the music of his teacher, David Felder, as part of an A Musical Feast retrospective and 60th birthday concert for the composer at the Burchfield Penney Art Center. The following year, he led performances of inaugural WBFO Visiting Professor, Douglas Fitch’s Center for Fine Arts production, How Did We…? Daniel made his MATA Festival conducting debut in New York City in May 2015, leading the New York premiere of Jason Buchanan’s opera, Hunger. In June 2015, he had his Kleinhans Music Hall debut, as part of the June in Buffalo Performance Institute, and that summer he also presented site-specific versions of his own music in Buffalo’s Silo City. In February, 2016, Daniel was featured guest conductor for the Erie County Music Educator’s Association (ECMEA) Senior Orchestra, leading the elite, 107-piece orchestra in a program of Wagner and Tchaikovsky. This season, he returns to direct the Southern Tier Symphony, leading a program of romantic masterworks, as one of that orchestra’s three Music Director candidates.
A passionate advocate of both the music of our time and neglected masterworks, Bassin has led more than 100 new compositions in world premiere performances and also presented over 40 rare classics in their Western New York-area first hearings. His performances have taken him to 37 countries and 42 American states. Featured numerous times in Buffalo’s ArtVoice Classical Music Notes column, reviewer Jan Jezioro has recently proclaimed that Daniel “consistently programs some of the most innovative classical music in Western New York.” He received his initial training in NY public schools and the Juilliard Pre-College, followed by the New England Conservatory (B.M. with Honors in Composition), Bard College (M.F.A. in Orchestral Conducting), and in the spring of 2014 he was awarded the PhD in Composition from the University at Buffalo.
Daniel Bassin is an active conductor, composer, trumpeter and educator living in Buffalo, NY. In addition to serving as Music Director of Buffalo’s historic Unitarian Universalist Church since 2013, Dr. Bassin has recently joined the faculty of Canisius High School. Previous posts include Artistic Director of the Buffalo Master Chorale, 2017-2019; Orchestra Director for the University at Buffalo, 2010-2016, and Buffalo State College 2015-2017; Orchestra Librarian of the American Symphony Orchestra, 2005-2010; and Assistant Conductor for the Fall 2008 tour of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. He performs regularly as a trumpeter with the Claernce Summer Orchestra; Buffalo Brass Quintet; and Anderson Big Band, in addition to work as a soloist and clinician. Daniel received his initial training from Long Island public schools and at the Juilliard Pre-College, followed by the New England Conservatory and Bard College. He holds a PhD in Composition from the University at Buffalo.
During the fall of 2008, Daniel acted as assistant conductor for the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra’s 16-city tour of the American West Coast and Midwest, and in summer 2010 his string quartet Typographies II was performed by the Arditti Quartet at the June in Buffalo Festival. He had his debut conducting the Slee Sinfonietta, Buffalo’s professional new music chamber orchestra, in 2012, and in 2013 he was a featured conductor at the Ensemble Linea/Peter Eötvös master classes at France’s Royaumont Abbey. In November 2013, he had the honor of conducting the music of his teacher, David Felder, as part of an A Musical Feast retrospective and 60th birthday concert for the composer at the Burchfield Penney Art Center. The following year, he led performances of inaugural WBFO Visiting Professor, Douglas Fitch’s Center for Fine Arts production, How Did We…? Daniel made his MATA Festival conducting debut in New York City in May 2015, leading the New York premiere of Jason Buchanan’s opera, Hunger. In June 2015, he had his Kleinhans Music Hall debut, as part of the June in Buffalo Performance Institute, and that summer he also presented site-specific versions of his own music in Buffalo’s Silo City. In February, 2016, Daniel was featured guest conductor for the Erie County Music Educator’s Association (ECMEA) Senior Orchestra, leading the elite, 107-piece orchestra in a program of Wagner and Tchaikovsky. This season, he returns to direct the Southern Tier Symphony, leading a program of romantic masterworks, as one of that orchestra’s three Music Director candidates.
A passionate advocate of both the music of our time and neglected masterworks, Bassin has led more than 100 new compositions in world premiere performances and also presented over 40 rare classics in their Western New York-area first hearings. His performances have taken him to 37 countries and 42 American states. Featured numerous times in Buffalo’s ArtVoice Classical Music Notes column, reviewer Jan Jezioro has recently proclaimed that Daniel “consistently programs some of the most innovative classical music in Western New York.” He received his initial training in NY public schools and the Juilliard Pre-College, followed by the New England Conservatory (B.M. with Honors in Composition), Bard College (M.F.A. in Orchestral Conducting), and in the spring of 2014 he was awarded the PhD in Composition from the University at Buffalo.