B i o
Promoted Artist of the Forum Dirigieren des Deutschen Musikrats
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Born in Colombia and educated in Vienna, Daniel Rueda Blanco enjoys exploring a wide range of repertoire, with a special interest in modern and contemporary music, as well as in concert programming and new concert formats. During 2024, Daniel made debuts as an Opera conductor with the Staatstheater Mainz (Kaija Saariaho: Emilie) and the Stadttheater Gießen (Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onegin), and returned to the Medellín Philharmonic Orchestra (after a successful debut in 2023) for a series of concerts in innovative formats. Future engagements include debuts with the Musikalische Komödie Leipzig and the Nürnberger Symphoniker.
Daniel is a recipient of several conducting accolades. In 2019, he received the Special Award of the George Enescu Philharmonic at the X International Conducting Competition Jeunesses Musicales Bucharest. As well, he was winner of the Conducting Academies of the Colombian National Symphony Orchestra (2017) and of the Caldas Symphony Orchestra (2015). As a pianist, he was winner of the Soloist Competition of the Colombian National Conservatory (2014). Daniel was recipient of the Viktor-Bunzl Award (2018), the Prize of Honour (Würdigungspreis 2021) of the mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, and the Scholarship of the Sobotka-Janeczek Foundation Vienna in 2018, granted to “first-class conductors and soloists”. Daniel was a recipient of the Grant for Music and Performing Arts "Startstipendium" of the Austrian Ministry of Culture, Arts, Public Service and Sport.
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During the Season 2022/23 Daniel was appointed as the Assistant Conductor of the Aarhus Symfoniorkester (Denmark), where he assisted Marc Soustrot and conducted several concerts. As well, he served as Chief Conductor of the Musikverein St. Pölten (2019-2022), and as Chief Conductor of the Colombian National Conservatory Chamber Orchestra (2014-15). As Guest Conductor, Daniel has worked with the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Elbland Philharmonie Sachsen, the Erzgebirgische Philharmonie Aue, the Neubrandemburger Philharmonie, the Webern Kammerphilharmonie, the Orquesta de Cámara Freixenet, Kammerorchester CON FUOCO, the Folkwang Kammerorchester Essen, the Symphony Orchestra of the Central Conservatory of Beijing (China), the ProArte Orchestra of Vienna, among many others. Further conducting experiences include the Wiener Symphoniker, the Slovenian Philharmonic and the Ensemble Intercontemporain. Daniel has collaborated as well with the conductors Giordano Bellincampi, Pierre Bleuse, Andrey Boreyko, Svetoslav Borisov, Andris Poga and Leif Segerstam.
Developing a special affinity for modern and contemporary music, Daniel has conducted the MAM.manufaktur für aktuelle musik, Ensemble PHACE and the New Music Ensemble of the Colombian National Conservatory. He has served as Assistant Conductor for contemporary operas at the Carinthischer Sommer Festival in Austria in 2021 (Johannes Kalitzke: Jeanne d'Arc), and in 2022 for the Theater Magdeburg (Elena Langer: Figaro gets a Divorce). He has collaborated as well with the composers Elena Langer, Chris Shelton, José Guillermo Martínez and Mauricio Nassi, among others. Additionally he is active in the creation of new concert formats, and has developed projects for the Wiener Akademische Philharmonie, the Festival KlangBildKlang of the mdw and the Medellín Philharmonic.
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Daniel received in 2016 his Bachelor with Honors in Conducting from the Colombian National Conservatory, where he studied with Libardo Saavedra and Tetsuo Kagehira (Conducting), and Raúl Mesa (Piano). He holds a Magister Art. with Honours In Orchestral Conducting from the mdw - University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, where he studied with Simeon Pironkoff (Conducting), Wladimir Kiradjiev (Opera Conducting), Andreas Henning (Vocal coaching) and Thomas Kreuzberger (Piano). At the mdw, he made additional studies in Contemporary Arts Practice: Music Mediation & Community Music. Daniel has participated in the Conductinr Masterclasses of Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Marin Alsop, Guerassim Voronkov, Yu Feng, among others.
Daniel Rueda Blanco lives in Vienna. Since 2021 he has been appointed as Conducting Fellow of the Forum Dirigieren des Deutschen Musikrats, and he is currently represented by the Program Konzertförderung (formerly "Maestros von Morgen") of the Forum (until 2027/2028).