Daniel Rowland
Dutch/English violinist Daniel Rowland is a musician of great intensity and imagination, whose work moves seamlessly between soloist, director, chamber musician and creator. Known for performances of striking emotional directness and communicative power, his playing has been described as “ravishing in its finesse” (The Guardian), while Gramophoneobserved that he “truly sounds like nobody else”, and The Herald praised his “astonishing sound and uniquely single-minded intensity”.
Rowland appears internationally as soloist and director with orchestras across Europe and beyond, collaborating with conductors such as Heinz Holliger, Jaap van Zweden, François-Xavier Roth, Lawrence Foster and Andrey Boreyko. His repertoire ranges from Vivaldi, Beethoven, Brahms and Elgar through Berg and Korngold to Schnittke, Glass, Kancheli and Ferneyhough. A defining aspect of his artistry is his ability to shape performances from within — directing from the violin and curating programmes that bring together tradition and innovation.
A passionate advocate of music of our time, Rowland maintains close collaborations with leading composers and has premiered numerous works by composers such as Peteris Vasks, Olli Mustonen, Osvaldo Golijov, Roxanna Panufnik, Isidora Žebeljan, Aftab Darvishi and Rembrandt Frerichs. His extensive discography comprises more than 35 highly acclaimed recordings for Challenge Classics, including Distant Light (Vasks Concertos), Max Richter’s Seasons Recomposed, and albums dedicated to the music of Valentin Silvestrov and Osvaldo Golijov. An album marking the 90th birthday of Philip Glass will be released in early 2027.
A passionate chamber musician, Rowland has collaborated with artists including Heinz Holliger, Martha Argerich, Lars Vogt, Vladimir Mendelssohn, Willard White, Michael Collins and Martin Fröst. For twelve years he was first violinist of the Brodsky Quartet, performing worldwide and recording extensively, including the celebrated complete Shostakovich cycle.
In 2023 he founded the Arethusa Quartet. His long-standing duo partnerships with pianist Natacha Kudritskaya — described by BBC Music Magazine as “a perfect partnership” — and cellist Maja Bogdanovic, whose duo CD Pas de deux (Challenge Records) includes five world premieres, form a central part of his artistic life. With bandoneonist and composer Marcelo Nisinman he explores the evolving language of tango, and as a member of the Amsterdam Chamber Ensemble (ACE) he creates dynamic and adventurous programmes.
In 2005 Rowland founded the Stift Festival, where he serves as artistic director. Under his leadership, the festival has become internationally recognised for its distinctive atmosphere and adventurous programming, bringing together leading artists and young talents in a setting where music, nature and history form a unified experience.
Rowland is Professor of Violin at the Royal College of Music in London.
Born in London and raised in the Netherlands, he studied with Jan Repko, Davina van Wely, Herman Krebbers, Viktor Liberman and Igor Oistrakh. A formative influence was Ivry Gitlis, leading to a long-standing artistic association. He plays a Lorenzo Storioni violin (Cremona, 1796).
Faculties / departments: Strings
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