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Video of Dannel playing the second movement of the Fuzzy Bird Sonata
Video of Dannel playing the first movement of the Bach Flute Partita in a minor
Pythikos Nomos Video
Dannel Espinoza currently resides in Rochester, NY where he is a teaching assistant at University of Rochester and is pursuing a doctor of musical arts degree at Eastman School of Music. He received his Bacherlor's degree in Music Performance at Northern Arizona University and a Master's degree in Music Performance from Florida State University where he was a teaching assistant. His primary teachers include Jonathan Bergeron, Patrick Meighan and Chien-Kwan Lin.
As a soloist, Dannel has received many awards. He won 2nd prize at the Music Teachers National Association Young Artist Competition held in Toronto, Canada. He was named the winner of the Arizona Music Teachers Association for 2005-2006 and 2006-2007. Also for the 2006-2007 season he was named the winner of the Southwest Region for the MTNA Young Artist competition. He was named the winner of the NAU Concerto Competition for the 2004-2005 school year and placed 2nd in the 2006 Tucson Symphony Orchestra Concert Competition. Dannel was also named a finalist at the FSU Concerto Competition in 2007. He has participated in Master Classes given by John Sampen, Timothy McAllister, Elliot Riley, Bruce Weinberger, Ken Coon, Christine Rall, Patrick Meighan, James Houlik and John Moore.
As soprano saxophonist of the Konisch Saxophone Quartet, Dannel has performed all around the United States. The quartet was the first ever saxophone quartet to be invited to participate in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chamber Music Institute. As part of the invitation to the Chamber Music Institute, they had a quartet piece written specifically for them and they gave the world-premiere of it during that week. They were named winners of the Arizona Music Teacher Association Chamber Music Competition in 2004-2005 and 2005-2006. They were also named Semi-Finalists in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and the first ever Plowman Chamber Music Competition. The Konisch Saxophone Quartet was also a participant in the 29th annual Navy Saxophone Symposium as part of their College Quartet Series.
Currently he is the baritone saxophonist of the Mana Saxophone Quartet. With this quartet he has performed throughout North America and Europe. They were invited to perform at the Sigurd Rascher Centennial Celebration. They were named grand prize winners at the Coleman Chamber Music Competition in 2009. This was also a historical event since no other saxophone quartet had won the grand prize in this competition in the 63 years of existence. The Mana Quartet will be the featured artistic ensemble in residence at the Hot Springs Music Festival in 2010. Here they will have the US Premiere of Anders Nilsson's Concerto Grosso for saxophone quartet and orchestra. The Mana Quartet will also be found as frequent performers at the United States Navy Band Saxophone Symposium and the North American Saxophone Alliance conferences. For more information visit their website at http://www.manaquartet.com
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