Violinist

Dan Flanagan has built a multifaceted career as a soloist and orchestral musician, performing concertos with orchestras in California and recitals throughout the United States and Europe. Flanagan currently serves as Concertmaster of the Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera, Concertmaster of West Edge Opera, and Instructor of Violin at University of California, Berkeley.  Described as a “stellar musician” (Nevada Reviews) and “superior violinist” (Piedmont Post), he has been praised for his “exquisite tones” and “forthright brio” (Sacramento Bee), and his “solos were excellent” (San Francisco Classical Voice).

The 2023-24 season includes solo recitals at The Center for New Music in San Francisco, Boson University, Carnegie Hall, University of Rome, and The American Library in Paris.  His program, The Bow and the Brush, includes 23 newly composed solo violin pieces inspired by paintings and sculptures.  16 of these pieces were premiered at Opera America’s National Opera Center in New York City on October 3rd, 2022.  Of this performance, New York Concert Reviews said “Dan Flanagan is a true Renaissance man. Mr. Flanagan is an excellent violinist, versatile enough to serve as a blank canvas (and I mean this in the best sense) for the diverse styles of all the composers.  His generosity and intelligence informed the entire program, and both of his own compositions affirmed his talent and (especially in the encore) his virtuosity.”  He has since performed the program in San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland, Sacramento, Houston, Denton, Riverside, San Diego, Chicago, Eugene, Perugia, London, Bordeaux and Paris. Several of these compositions can be seen on his YouTube channel (recommended by KDFC, The Strad, and SF Classical Voice) and heard on his album, The Bow and the Brush, which was released by MSR Classics in March of 2023, to critical acclaim.

Flanagan has performed as concertmaster with the Oakland Symphony, Santa Rosa Symphony, California Symphony, California Musical Theater, Festival Opera, Symphony San Jose, Modesto Symphony, Opera Parallèle, Merced Symphony and Symphony Napa Valley.  He performs regularly with the San Francisco Opera and records film, video game, and television soundtracks with the Skywalker Symphony Orchestra. Frequently featured as soloist with the Sacramento Philharmonic and Modesto Symphony, Flanagan has also performed with the American River Chamber Orchestra, Bear Valley Symphony, Reno Baroque Ensemble, UC Berkeley Symphony, UC Davis Symphony, and the Adelphi Chamber Orchestra.

As a chamber musician, Flanagan has performed with the Chamber Music Society of Sacramento, the Oregon Bach Festival, Earplay, Melody of China, Midsummer Mozart Chamber Players, Gold Coast Chamber Players, and has collaborated with pianists Leon Fleisher and Jon Nakamatsu.  As a founding member of the Farallon Quintet, he commissioned and premiered numerous works, several of which can be heard on the CD, “Farallon Quintet Originals.”  As a member of the Eco Ensemble, he performs regularly at Cal Performances, performed at La Biennale in Venice, Italy, and was featured in Strings Magazine.  He recently founded Trio Solano, an award-winning ensemble that performs new music and standard repertoire throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

 

Dan’s compositions have been heard throughout the United States and Europe.  He has been commissioned by International Arts Educators Forum, Cecilia Ensemble, Trio Solano, Farallon Quintet, Hunters Point Shipyard Artists, Gold Coast Chamber Players, Swedenborgian Church of San Francisco, and numerous musician colleagues. His article, Rhapsody in Discomfort, was published by New Music USA and LymeDisease.org.

In addition to teaching at University of California, Berkeley, Dan was Lecturer of Violin at University of California, Davis, from 2007 to 2017.  In 2008, Dan founded Sacramento School of Music, where he served as Director and Instructor of Violin until 2014.  He is a member of the American Federation of Musicians,  American String Teachers Association, the Recording Academy, Chamber Music America, Center for New Music, and RAMPD.

Flanagan plays on a violin made in 1840 by JB Vuillaume, once owned by the celebrated American virtuoso Albert Spalding, and he collects original artwork by French Impressionists and contemporary California artists.  His extensive collection of antique concert programs and photos has been presented at numerous universities and was featured in a documentary on the legendary Czech violinists for Czech Television, created by Pavel Šporcl.

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Early studies were in New Jersey and New York City, followed by high school at Interlochen Arts Academy. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music and a Master’s Degree from the University of Oregon, where he was a Graduate Teaching Fellow.  His teachers include Lewis Kaplan, Hal Grossman, Linda Cerone, Charles Castleman, and Fritz Gearhart.

In addition to promoting living composers and artists of diverse backgrounds, Dan is passionate about helping his community.  He regularly features his art collection to host fundraisers for charities and collect supplies that he passes out at homeless encampments.  Past fundraisers include Puerto Rico Relief Fund, California Fire Relief Fund, Berkeley Food and Housing Project, No Kill Advocacy Center, Hunters Point Shipyard Artists, InterMusic SF, and LymeDisease.org.

Commissions

  • Nathaniel Stookey: Shadow Breaking, after the painting by Rachel Dwan
  • Peter Josheff: Same Old Sadness, after a painting by Peter Canty
  • Michael Panther: Oil on Canvas, after a painting by Paul Gibson
  • Libby Larsen: The Only Way Through is Slow, after a painting by Nikki Vismara
  • Trevor Weston: Notre Dame au milieu de l’eau et du ciel, after a painting by Albert-Marie Lebourg
  • James Stephenson: Guillaumin, after a painting by Armand Guillaumin
  • Evan Price: Blue Swan, after a sculpture by Sean O’Donnell
  • Cindy Cox: Into the Light, after a painting by Victoria Veedell
  • Shinji Eshima: The Collection, after a painting by Paul Gibson
  • Eric Schwartz: Placed Into the Abyss, after a painting by Paul Gibson
  • Edmund Campion: Splits (Le Grand Ècart), after a pastel drawing by Ludovic-Rodo Pissarro
  • David Mecionis: Couple au lit, after a painting by Jean-Louis Forain
  • Linda Marcel: Raven’s Dance, after a painting by Nina Fabunmi
  • Maija Hynninen: Island, after a painting by Elaine Pratt
  • Jose Gonzalez Granero: Cadenza II, after a painting by Robert Antoine Pinchon
  • Emily Onderdonk: Arredondo, after a mixed media collage by Carrington Arredondo
  • Jacques Desjardins: Émergence, after a painting by Susan Bostrom-Wong
  • Catherine Neville: Danses, after the lithograph by Henri Fantin-Latour
  • Catherine Neville: Idyll, after a painting by Paulémile Pissarro
  • Jessica Mays: And miles to go…, after a painting by Albert Malet
  • Michael Panther: Pastel Lake, after a pastel by George Manzana Pissarro
  • Michael Panther: String Trio TBA, after a painting by Gustav Moreau
  • Cindy Cox: String Trio TBA, after a mixed media work by John Campion
  • Riccardo Santoboni: Solo Violin TBA
  • Allen Shearer: Solo Violin TBA, after a painting by Paul Cézanne
  • Etienne Rolin: Synaptic Sonata
  • Etienne Rolin: Dolce
  • Amadeus Regucera: Violin Concerto TBA
  • Sebastian Kelso: TBA, after a painting by Bernard Gussow
“I can enthusiastically recommend Dan Flanagan as a performer and teacher. He is a thoughtful and dedicated musician who is very easy to work with.”
Michael Morgan

Music Director Laureate, Oakland Symphony; Music Director Emeritus, Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera