Daniel Sperry

Daniel Sperry is a contemporary, original, innovative cellist and composer of instrumental music, whose home is in Ashland, Oregon. He is currently traveling the U.S. as part of his "Irrational Quest For Beauty Fall Tour 2010". The tour began on Labor Day weekend with concerts in Portland, Oregon, and continues to the Midwest and South with performances in Iowa and Nashville, TN. Daniel's two albums, "Cello Man Dreams", and "The Irrational Quest For Beauty" are filled with longing, passion, whimsy and playfulness, utilizing the voice of cello, guitar, quatro, grand piano, and percussion.

Daniel's training in cello began at an early age, with instruction from his mother, also a cellist. At 8, he was taking lessons from his mother's teacher, Marjorie Enix, and later with the Principal Cellist of the London Philharmonic, Nelson Cooke. He auditioned and became one of the youngest members of the Florida Gulf Coast Symphony at 17, and later joined the Nashville Symphony.

Throughout most of his life, Daniel has explored many genres or music, playing in the R&B band "Skyboat" led by Mac Gayden, the songwriter of "Everlasting Love", collaborating with singer/songwriter Renie Praver on "Home of Being", and performing in the eclectic acoustic band "Sage", which included Irish pipes and a blend of folk, blues and celtic influences. He has also performed with Krishna Das, and the West Coast folk-soul band, Gypsy Soul.

Daniel's love of performing with dancers led him to collaborate with Dancing People Company's Peggy Paver and ALonzo Moore in the fall of 2009, and his long-time interest and practice of yoga has led him to collaborations with yoga teachers Vanessa Scott, of the Ashland Yoga Center, and Colleen Dwyer of Blossoming Yoga Studio in Nashville, TN.

His current performances include a mix of his original music, including an innovative form, a Musical Portrait, commissioned by and for particular people, as well as familiar standards, opera arias, and the recitation of poetry by Rumi, Neruda, Mary Oliver and others.