Biography
Daniel Capps is a distinguished conductor who has made significant contributions to the world of classical music and ballet. He has achieved considerable recognition and success through his work with prestigious ballet companies and orchestras.
Capps began his journey in the world of dance with the Royal Ballet, making his debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 2008 and as regular guest conductor thereafter. His work with the Royal Ballet has garnered critical acclaim and has been broadcast worldwide, including a DVD release of Wayne McGregor's ballet Chroma.
Capps made his debut with New York City Ballet in October 2011, marking the beginning of a remarkable journey with this renowned dance company. His talents were quickly recognised, and after several subsequent invitations over the Winter season, he was appointed as Resident Conductor in March 2012.
Also in 2011, Capps made his debut with the National Ballet of Canada, conducting Christopher Wheeldon's ballet Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and in recent seasons he has debuted with Ballet Zürich, The Australian Ballet and Spain’s Compañía Nacional de Danza, all of which have resulted in multiple re-invitations.
Throughout his illustrious career, Daniel Capps has left an indelible mark on the worlds of classical music and ballet, earning a reputation for his exceptional conducting skills, versatility and artistry. His natural talent, dedication to his craft, and collaborations with renowned institutions and artists have solidified his status as a respected conductor and a vital figure in the world of music and dance.
Performance Highlights
April - July 2023
Jewels (Fauré, Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky/Balanchine)
The Australian Ballet
Sydney Opera House
Arts Centre, Melbourne
September 2023 - January 2024
Infra (Richter/McGregor)
Glass Pieces (Glass/Robbins)
Snowblind (Feeney/Marston)
Ballett Zürich
Opernhaus, Zurich
November 2023 - January 2024
La Sylphide
(Løvenskiold/Bournonville)
Compañía Nacional de Danza
Madrid & Seville, Spain
March - April 2024
Carmen (Bizet, Alvarez/Inger)
The Australian Ballet
Sydney Opera House
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Does art get any better than this? Daniel Capps's conducting was an important source of life throughout.
Alastair Macaulay, New York Times
New York City Ballet
January 2015 -
Daniel Capps conducts the score with love, good sense and wit. A performance to treasure.
Clement Crisp, Financial Times
La Fille mal Gardée
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
March 2010 -
The Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, under the baton of Daniel Capps was wonderful. It conveyed the bittersweet longing quality of Pulcinella and fueled this memorable night of pure joy in motion.
Alexander C. Kafka, DC Theatre Scene
New York City Ballet
Kennedy Centre
March 2018 -
Musically splendid in its depiction by Orchestra Victoria led by guest conductor Daniel Capps
Paul Selar, Australian Arts Review
Obsidian Tear (Salonen/McGregor)
Annealing (Marks/Topp)
Everywhere We Go (Stevens/Peck)
The Australian Ballet
Orchestra Victoria
Arts Centre Melbourne
September 2022 -
Brilliantly conducted by Daniel Capps who gave it all the necessary momentum to sustain the narrative. A wonderful evening.
Mark Ronan
La Sylphide (Løvenskiold/Bournonville)
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
May 2012 -
The Opera Australia Orchestra deliver a superb reading of the score under Daniel Capps.
Jansson J Antmann, Limelight
Carmen (Bizet, Shchedrin/Inger)
The Australian Ballet
Opera Australia Orchestra
Sydney Opera House
April 2024 -
The orchestra has been sounding worthy of the theater’s vastly improved acoustics—particularly strong under the leadership of Daniel Capps.
Robert Gottlieb, New York Observer
Suite No.3 (Tchaikovsky/Balanchine)
New York City Ballet
June 2013 -
Philharmonia Zurich's playing is inspired and extremely spirited under Daniel Capps.
Marlies Strech, Tanznetz
Snowblind (Feeney/Marston)
Glass Pieces (Glass/Robbins)
Ballett Zürich
Philharmonia Zurich
Opernhaus, Zurich
October 2023 -
Impeccable musical direction for the dance by Daniel Capps with the Royal Symphony Orchestra of Seville in the pit, magnificent as always.
Marta Carrasco, ABC Sevilla (trans.)
La Sylphide (Løvenskiold/Bournonville)
Compañía Nacional de Danza
Teatro Maestranza, Seville
January 2024 -
The Opera House orchestra led by Daniel Capps delivered a beautiful rendition of Chopin's music
Oksana Khadarina, Ballet Magazine
Month in the Country (Chopin/Ashton)
Royal Ballet
Washington Opera Orchestra
Kennedy Centre Opera House
Washington
June 2009 -
The brilliant musical score is played with great style and energy by The National Ballet Orchestra under Daniel Capps.
Gary Smith, Hamilton Spectator
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Talbot/Wheeldon)
Orchestra of the National Ballet of Canada
Four Seasons Centre
Toronto
June 2011 -
The music was conducted with energetic precision by Daniel Capps, who did a very fine job of uniting music and dance.
Mark Ronan
DGV: Danse a grande vitesse (Nyman/Wheeldon)
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
May 2011 -
The Opera Australia Orchestra proves yet again that it rivals this country’s finest ensembles. The sound emanating from the Joan Sutherland Theatre pit under Daniel Capps is glorious.
Jansson J. Antmann
Jewels (Fauré, Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky/Balanchine)
The Australian Ballet
Opera Australia Orchestra
Sydney Opera House
May 2023 -
Played with such deft precision by Orchestra Victoria under the nimble baton of conductor Daniel Capps
Simon Parris
Obsidian Tear (Salonen/McGregor)
Annealing (Marks/Topp)
Everywhere We Go (Stevens/Peck)
The Australian Ballet
Orchestra Victoria
Arts Centre Melbourne
September 2022 -
Daniel Capps conducted the scores, whose dates of composition reached from 1774 to 1920, with equal flair at the David H. Koch Theater.
Alastair Macaulay, New York Times
Valses nobles et sentimentales
La Valse (Ravel/Balanchine)
Chaconne (Gluck/Balanchine)
Donizetti Variations (Donizetti/Balanchine)
New York City Ballet
January 2015 -
Excellent playing from the orchestra in this tricky piece - all praise to young conductor Daniel Capps.
GJ Dowler, Classical Music
Agon (Stravinksy/Balanchine)
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
November 2009 -
The best was yet to come: Violin Concerto was the performance of the afternoon. The orchestra, under the baton of Daniel Capps, played the Concerto in D with sparkle and wit. A performance of this caliber can only leave us hungry for more.
Marina Harss, Dance Tabs
Violin Concerto (Stravinsky/Balanchine)
New York City Ballet
March 2014 -
The music is terrific, familiar but often surprising, and boldly delivered by the Opera Australia Orchestra with visiting conductor Daniel Capps at the helm.
Deborah Jones, The Australian
Carmen (Bizet, Shchedrin/Inger)
The Australian Ballet
Opera Australia Orchestra
Sydney Opera House
April 2024 -
Daniel Capps deserves every commendation for guiding the orchestra
Clement Crisp, Finanical Times
DGV: Danse a grande vitesse (Nyman/Wheeldon)
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
February 2009 -
Capps conducted Ballo della Regina with a suitably regal tone while maintaining just the right rhythm for dance.
Mark Ronan
Ballo della Regina (Verdi/Balanchine)
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
May 2011 -
The Orchestra under maestro Daniel Capps played superbly.
Lynne Lancaster, Sydney Arts Guide
Obsidian Tear (Salonen/McGregor)
Annealing (Marks/Topp)
Everywhere We Go (Stevens/Peck)
The Australian Ballet
Opera Australia Orchestra
Sydney Opera House
November 2022 -
Daniel Capps conducted a high-spirited, lyrical performance
David Dougill, Sunday Times
La Fille mal Gardée
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
March 2010 -
This Christopher Wheeldon work, to music by Michael Nyman....was well conducted by Daniel Capps
Mark Ronan
DGV: Danse a grande vitesse (Nyman/Wheeldon)
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
January 2009 -
A well-directed, forthright performance of Elgar's unsinkable Cockaigne, marked by the thrilling exuberance of the trombone section and mellifluous playing from the strings
Christopher Webber, Musicweb International -
Daniel Capps conducted with a suitably regal tone while maintaining a fine rhythm for dance, and this was a delight to watch.
Mark Ronan
Ballo della Regina (Verdi/Balanchine)
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
May 2012 -
Daniel Capps conducted like a man leading a giddy and glorious birthday celebration, which indeed this was.
Debra Craine, The Times
La Fille mal Gardée
50th anniversary performance
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
March 2010 -
The music was played superlatively by the Royal Opera House Orchestra, excitingly conducted by Daniel Capps
GJ Dowler, Classical Source
Ballo della Regina (Verdi/Balanchine)
DGV: Danse a grande vitesse (Nyman/Wheeldon)
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
May 2011 -
Daniel Capps conducted the music with lyrical energy.
Mark Ronan
Chroma (Talbot/McGregor)
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
May 2010 -
The Orchestra under maestro Daniel Capps was in excellent form.
Lynne Lancaster
Jewels (Fauré, Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky/Balanchine)
The Australian Ballet
Opera Australia Orchestra
Sydney Opera House
May 2023 -
Excitingly conducted by Daniel Capps, the orchestra sounded engaged and on top form
GJ Dowler, Classical Source
Ballo della Regina (Verdi/Balanchine)
DGV: Danse a grande vitesse (Nyman/Wheeldon)
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
May 2011 -
Prokofiev's music sounded wonderful under the direction of Daniel Capps.
Mark Ronan
Rushes
Royal Opera House, Covent Garden
February 2010 -
Salonen’s orchestral poem Nyx, magnetically delivered by the OAO and guest conductor Daniel Capps
Deborah Jones
Obsidian Tear (Salonen/McGregor)
The Australian Ballet
Opera Australia Orchestra
Sydney Opera House
November 2022