Daniel Capps

email: daniel@danielcapps.com

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).

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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

Full diary

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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
    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