Biography
Daniel Capps made his debut with New York City Ballet in October 2011 and, following several further invitations over the winter season, was appointed as Resident Conductor in July 2012.
Daniel first conducted for dance with the Royal Ballet, making his main stage debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in May 2008, where he has been a regular guest ever since. Daniel's work has received much critical acclaim and has been broadcast on both television and 'Big Screens' throughout the world, including a DVD release of Wayne McGregor's ballet Chroma.
He has also toured with the Royal Ballet and NYCB to China, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Cuba, France, Spain, Mexico, Denmark and the USA, conducting at venues such as the Beijing National Theatre, Tiananmen Square, the Kennedy Center, Washington, the Châtelet Theatre, Paris, the Bunka Kaikan, Tokyo and the Gran Teatro, Havana. In June 2011 Daniel made his debut with the National Ballet of Canada, conducting Christopher Wheeldon's ballet Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
Daniel graduated with distinction from the Royal Academy of Music and in 2012 was made an Associate (ARAM).
Performance Highlights
September - November 2022
Obsidian Tear (Salonen/McGregor)
Annealing (Marks/Topp)
Everywhere We Go (Stevens/Peck)
The Australian Ballet
Arts Centre, Melbourne
Sydney Opera House
January 2023
Giselle (Adam/Du Luz)
Compañía Nacional de Danza
Teatro Mayor
Bogota, Columbia
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
-
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
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 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 -
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)
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 -
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
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 -
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
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 -
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