Daniel Yoon is currently a Senior at Leland High School. He has been playing the cello since the age of 8 under the guidance of Kyeoung Hwa Kim. Ever since, music has been a key part of his life. Daniel has won numerous awards in music competitions, including the Silicon Valley Symphony Music competition, the American Fine Arts Festival Golden Era of Romantic Music Competition, American Protégé International Concerto Competition, Enkor International competition, the Korean American Music Supporters’ Association music competition, US Open Competition and the Junior Bach Festival. As a member of the California Philharmonic Youth Orchestra for 6 years, Daniel won CPYO’s solo competition in 2019 and 2021. He also had the honor of performing at Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall in 2018 and 2019. In addition, Daniel is the principal cellist of the Leland High School Chamber Orchestra and he helps mentor his fellow classmates.
Daniel has been a member of the National Youth Orchestra 2 for 2 years, serving as the assistant principal cellist in 2021. Moreover, he has been accepted to the California All-State Symphony Orchestra in 2020, 2021 and 2022. By attending many summer camps and masterclasses, Daniel has been able to study with Clive Greensmith, Mark Kosower, Daniel McDonough, and Brannon Cho.
Apart from competing, Daniel enjoys interacting with and serving people through music. He is a member of MUSE, a student-founded chamber music group. that performs monthly at senior centers and holds benefit concerts every winter to raise money for people in need. He is also a member of the Back to Bach project which connects local children with music. Recently, Daniel has been teaching students from all over the country through Zoom for the Doremi Project.
Besides music, Daniel is a member of Leland Varsity Water Polo team. He enjoys playing sports, listening to music and hanging out with friends.
Sinfonia Concertante in E minor, Op. 125, 1st mvt, Prokofiev, 10min 9sec