Background. Dan Phelps is a composer and pianist based in South Wales. Dan has a Post Graduate Diploma in composition from the prestigious Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama as well as a BA (Hons) degree in Music from Bath Spa University College.
Multimedia. Dan has composed music for a number of professional organisations and individuals including Rubicon Dance, India Dance Wales, Elan Wales (a theatre company) and Calon TV (an animation company) amongst others. For Calon TV Dan was responsible for composing the music for one of their animation 'Trailers' "Are We There Yet" Dan continues to work very closely with two poets, Jeff Phelps and Simon Fletcher, on a collaboration project Severn Spirit. The collaboration combines the original solo piano works of Dan Phelps with the poems and stories of Jeff Phelps and Simon Fletcher. the trio performed at a sold out performance at the Bewdley Festival.
Chamber Music. Dan has been involved with numerous chamber ensembles including the Gjylaci Duo who have given a world premiere performance of his Violin and Guitar piece (Episodic Dreams) at the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester, as well as performing it again as part of the 'Monday Night Musicales' season organised by the Royal Northern College of Music. His Piano and Cello piece "Minimum Vs. Maximum" was premiered by Harvey Davies (piano) and Heather Bills (cello) at the Powys Hall at the University of Wales Bangor, as part of the Bangor Music Festival. This concert was co-organised by the Composers of Wales which Dan is a member of. For more information about the Composers of Wales, please visit their website at www.cc-cw.org His piece "The Empty Head" for two Clarinets and Bassoon was premiered by Ensemble Cymru. The piece was premiered in Mold, North Wales and was then played throughout Wales in a six date tour. His Viola and Piano piece "Twisted Fairground" was premiered by Philip Heyman (of Welsh National Opera) and Zoe Smith at the Wales Millennium Centre, and his piece "Stifled", for String Quartet was premiered by the Mavron Quartet at the Gate Arts Centre in Cardiff. Dan is currently working very closely with librettist Simon Rees of Welsh National Opera on a new opera piece called Hadrian At Antinooplis.
Other Work. After working at the Wales Millennium Centre leading educational music workshops for children Dan now freelances as a workshop facilitator and piano and composition tutor. Dan is part of a number of performance based projects. He is the keyboard player for New Jersey, a Bon Jovi tribute band. The band have played many gigs together including the Swansea Milkwood Jam and they have many big performances to look forward to in the future including a large scale tribute festival. Dan is also the keyboard player in a new venture 2 Rude, a Ska tribute band. The band have headlined the Swansea Beer Festival and look forward to more successes in the future. Dan works closely with the singer Dan Curtis on a number of music projects. The duo have performed together many times including a concert prior to the prestigious BAFTA Cymru Awards held at Wales Millennium Centre. They have played, amongst others, at the internationally recognised Millennium Stadium, Cafe Jazz, Aber Jazz Festival, Bute Town Jazz and Blues Festival, the Hard Rock Cafe in Cardiff, which was one of the first Jazz gigs under the Hard Rock Brand, St Giles Church in the prestigious Covent Gardens, and they have recently performed live on Cardiff Radio. The duo have received excellent feedback on their versions of classic songs and their own material. They are currently working on an album and theatre show based around their works. Dan was also a member and an associate composer of the Cardiff New Music Collective for several years. CNMC specialise in performing contemporary music to new audiences and have performed throughout Wales at venues including the Chapter Arts Centre, the Wales Millennium Centre, Canton Uniting Church, Trinity College Carmarthen, the Aberystwyth Arts Centre and Conway Methodist Church in Canton.