Daniel Lamas
Violist
Chilean-American violist Daniel Lamas maintains an active career as both performer and educator. Since his solo debut at sixteen, he has appeared internationally as a recitalist, chamber musician, and orchestral principal.
He has served as principal violist of the Musik Landschaft Westfalen Philharmonie (Germany), the Penderecki Academy Orchestra (Poland), and is the founding principal violist of the Orquesta de Cámara de Valdivia (Chile), where he played a key role in community engagement throughout southern Chile. Daniel has performed with ensembles across France, Chile, and the United States.
Dedicated to expanding the viola repertoire, he regularly premieres solo and chamber works by contemporary composers, with a strong focus on music from Chile and Latin America. In 2020, he premiered the Tirana Viola Concerto by Dr. Derek Cooper, and recently appeared at Carnegie Hall in a concert of commissioned works highlighting indigenous musical traditions. A new concerto written for him will premiere in the 2026–2027 season.
An experienced educator, Daniel is known for his student-centered approach, guiding musicians from early learners to conservatory-bound students. He has taught and led master classes at institutions including Florida International University, the Krakow Conservatory, Austral University of Chile, and Juilliard’s MAP program. His students have been admitted to programs such as the Manhattan School of Music and the Peabody Institute, and many now perform professionally across the U.S. and abroad.
A certified Suzuki educator and orchestral strings specialist, Daniel teaches K–12 students in both group classes and school orchestras. He leads K–5 Suzuki violin programs and works with middle and high school ensembles, focusing on orchestral playing and diverse repertoire. He is especially committed to supporting newly immigrated Latin American students through culturally responsive instruction in violin and viola. His Suzuki training includes institutes in Memphis, Austin, Seattle, and Orlando, with mentorship from Colleen Fitzgerald, Cathryn Lee, Oscar Soler, and Rolando Freitag.
Daniel holds degrees from the Manhattan School of Music and the Paris Conservatoire. His principal teachers include Daniel Avshalomov, Teodor Coman, Karen Dreyfus, Michael Klotz, Patinka Kopec, Antoine Tamestit, and Misha Vitenson.
He has served on the artist faculty of the Killington Music Festival and Manhattan Music Festival, and joins the faculty of the Houghton University Summer Music Festival in 2025.