Marshall McDaniel

Background

About Marshall McDaniel

Born in Topanga, California, Marshall was in the 4th grade when he saw a performance of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony and knew he needed to be a composer. Growing up at his family-run theater Theatricum Botanicum gave him an early education in classical drama and American folk music. Starting on piano and later focusing on cello, he moved to Germany and spent 8 years studying at the conservatories in Trossingen, Mannheim, and Berlin, playing with the Nationaltheater Mannheim, Staatsphilharmonie Reinlandpfalz as well as many other orchestras and chamber music ensembles. It was in Berlin that Yoel Gamzou gave him his first orchestral commission, Uncontrollable Lust, with the International Mahler Orchestra. He went on to compose multiple commissions for Podium Festival Esslingen including a cello concerto written for Emanuel Graf which received repeat performances at the Cello Akademie Rutesheim and Kammermusikfestival Regensburg. After graduating from the UdK Berlin in 2012, he wrote “The Five Minute Orchestra Extravaganza” commissioned by the Kasseler Staatsorchester before returning to Los Angeles. Back home in Hollywood he developed a passion for electronic music and film composition. He worked as a composer’s assistant to Michael Levine, Jeff Rona, and Daniel Licht, helping create the music for The Red Road and Dishonored 2 among many other films and TV shows. During this time he was also the Music Director for Theatricum Botanicum, writing incidental music for dozens of theater productions as well as a full length musical based on the life and legend of Merlin. In 2019 he returned to Germany and became the Music Director of the National Youth Ballet. He created many original dance pieces, working closely with choreographers such as Kevin Haigen, Edvin Revazov, Raymond Hilbert, Natalia Horecna and John Neumeier. With his brother Kellen McDaniel he co-wrote Framework, an evening length dance piece choreographed by Kristian Lever and commissioned by the Internationale Stiftung Mozarteum Salzburg about their grandmother’s struggle with Alzheimers. His most recent commission, “A Prayer to Touch” for string orchestra was premiered by the Kammermusikfestival Regensburg in its inaugural season.