Daniel John Xuereb

SCHOLAR DESCRIPTION

Daniel commenced his cello studies at the age of 8 with Rahia Awalom and later continued under the tutelage of Akos Kertesz. In 2017, he joined the Malta Youth Orchestra and was later accepted as an intern with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra for the 2020-2021 season. In 2021, Daniel started his Bachelor’s degree in Cello Performance at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague, studying under Michel Strauss and Jan-Ype Nota. He has participated in masterclasses with distinguished musicians including Peter Schoening, Kristina Blaumane, Alexander Knyazev, Isaac Andrade, and Harro Ruijsenaars, and has played in workshops led by Amber Docters and Zlatomir Fung.

In 2023, Daniel was chosen as co-principal cellist of the Jong Metropole Orchestra, performing in the Royal Concertgebouw and the Berlin Konzerthaus, under the baton of Chris Walden. He has also performed in various projects with the Koninklijk Conservatorium Orkest and was also invited by conductor Jos Vermunt to perform with the Residentie Bachensembles.

During his academic journey, Daniel developed a passion in Early Choral Music, undertaking studies in Gregorian Chant, Latin, rhetoric, polyphony, and medieval philosophy at Leiden University. Between 2023 and 2024, he published articles on Gregorian Chant in the Maltese newspaper ‘il-Le?en’. Additionally, he has studied choral conducting with Jos Vermunt, Laszlo Nemes, and Krista Audere. As of 2024, Daniel is pursuing a major in Music Theory alongside his Cello degree.