Daniel Calder

Daniel Calder
B.Mus, B.Ed., ATCL.

A graduate of the Queensland University of Technology with degrees in both Music and Education, Daniel studied both voice and pianoforte. He has a special love of choral music and is highly regarded for his work within the community choir movement in Australia.

Daniel has a highly regarded music studio on the Sunshine Coast – the Calder Studio – teaching voice, focusing on technique and musicianship across a wide range of musical genres. Daniel’s students have gone on to graduate from WAAPA, AIM, NIDA, VCA and the Queensland Conservatorium.

Daniel has adjudicated choral, vocal, instrumental and piano eisteddfodau through Queensland since 2009. As a sessional staff member of the Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University, Daniel conducted the 100 voice Conservatorium Chorus.

Daniel founded the Sunshine Coast Oriana Choir in 2005, performing to acclaim in Brisbane and throughout Queensland, as well as overseas in the United Kingdom and Europe. In 2009, 2011 and 2013, the Sunshine Coast Oriana Choir was crowned as Queensland’s Champion Choir. Under Daniel’s baton the choir was recorded by 4MBS in Brisbane and was been broadcast nationally on ABC Classic FM.

In 2012, Daniel led the Sunshine Coast Oriana Choir to Europe on a tour which included competing at the Llangollen International Music Eisteddfod in Wales. The choir placed second and Daniel was individually acknowledged by the adjudicators for his excellence in choral conducting. Daniel has conducted international performances at London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral, and St. Martin’s in the Fields, as well as venues across England, Wales, Belgium and France.

Daniel is a past Musical Director and Conductor of the Blackstone-Ipswich Cambrian Choir Inc. (1999 – 2002 and 2006), the Caloundra Chorale and Theatre Company Inc. (2002 – 2005), the Sunshine Coast Oriana Choir (2005 – 2015) and the Ipswich Orpheus Chorale (2018).

As a tenor soloist, Daniel is a past Queensland Eisteddfod Champion and in 2012, was the only Australian singer selected to compete in the solo competition at the Llangollen International Music Eisteddfod in Wales. He has performed in recital and oratorio with various choirs and orchestras.

Daniel is passionate about the Eisteddfod movement within Australia and its fostering of emerging musical talent and founded the Sunshine Coast Eisteddfod Inc. in an effort to encourage the development of adult singing and choral work.

Recognised as one of Australia’s leading choral conductors, Daniel is in high demand as a choral clinician, vocal coach, repetiteur and adjudicator.