Daniel Palmizio

Daniel has established himself as one of today’s most highly regarded young violists with a string of competition successes and an extensive concert experience. He performed around the world as a soloist and collaborated with musicians such as Frans Helmerson, Hansjörg Schellenberger, Salvatore Accardo, Antonio Meneses and Maxim Vengerov. He was recently described as a player of ‘instrumental mastery’ characterized by ‘unselfconscious refinement’.

Daniel began his studies at the Santa Cecilia Conservatoire in Rome, where he was chosen for the rising soloists programme “Cidim” and gave concerto performances with Rome Sinfonietta across Italy. He then continued his education in England, first at the Purcell School and then at the Royal College of Music, with Ian Jewel. During his time in the UK, Daniel has been awarded scholarships from the Solti Foundation, Hattori Foundation and Philharmonia’s Martin Scholarship as well as the 1st Prize and Audience Prize in the Watson Forbes International Viola Competition. He then went on to win the 2nd Prize in the Brahms International Viola Competition in Austria and the 1st Prize in the Valentino Bucchi Competition in Rome. Further performances in South America and the US then followed, while his notable performances in England included Walton’s Concerto in St. John’s Smith Square and recitals at the Purcell Room, the Wigmore Hall and the Royal Festival Hall.

In 2008, Daniel returned to his native Italy to join the class of the celebrated violist Bruno Giuranna in Cremona, with whom he performed chamber music throughout Italy. Under Giuranna’s baton, Daniel, with the Udine Symphony Orchestra, performed Britten’s Lachrymae on several occasions. His demanding schedule continued when he toured Italy, Malta and Estonia as a soloist with the World Youth Orchestra and performed at the Bellinzona and Neauchatel Festivals in Switzerland.

In spite of Daniel’s most recent achievement, the top viola prize in the 2012 Budapest International Competition, there is a growing demand for his teaching and since 2012 he accepted the position of Professor of Viola at the Santa Cecilia Conservatoire in Rome and delivered numerous masterclasses in the leading Italian conservatoires.

Notable future engagements include concerto performances with the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, the Orchestras of Padova and Veneto and the Orchestra of the Arena di Verona. He will also tour Hungary with the Hungarian Radio Orchestra and the Szeged Symphony Orchestra