Daniel Pesca
Assistant Professor of Composition
BIOGRAPHY
Daniel Pesca has been hailed as “the perfect composer-virtuoso pianist” (All about the Arts) and “equally talented as pianist, composer and advocate of his peers’ works” (Fanfare). Among Daniel’s most recent compositions are Walk with me, my joy for Constellations Chamber Concerts in Washington, DC and New Examples of Confusion for the Chicago Center for Contemporary Composition. Other recent works have been commissioned with support from national granting organizations including the National Endowment for the Arts and New Music USA and for ensembles such as the American Wild Ensemble and New Morse Code. His music has been heard at festivals and venues around the country and in Europe. As pianist, Daniel has premiered over 150 works, is a founding member of the Grossman Ensemble and co-director of the Zohn Collective, appears on a dozen commercial recordings (including a solo album, Promontory), and has performed as soloist with orchestras in works by Messiaen, Bernstein, Berg, Carter, and others. Daniel was on faculty at University of Maryland, Baltimore County from 2019 to 2023. He previously taught at University of Chicago, Northeastern Illinois University, Ithaca College, and Syracuse University. Beginning in Fall 2023, Daniel will be assistant professor of composition at Eastman School of Music.