Itaï Daniel is a composer, pianist, and conductor whose work
has been shaped by three decades of practice across three
continents. Born in Israel, he trained at the Music Academy of
Tel Aviv University under Professors Noam Sheriff and Avner
Itai, graduating magna cum laude with a full scholarship. He
later pursued advanced conducting studies in the United

States at the Cleveland Institute of Music, took private lessons
with Maestro Alan Gilbert and conducted in a masterclass
with Maestro Kurt Masur. He later joined the conducting
program of the Oregon Symphony Orchestra working
alongside Maestro James DePreist, obtaining an artist
diploma from the Forest Grove University. He participated as a
fellowship conductor at the Aspen Music Festival where he
conducted in masterclasses for world-class conductors such
as Michael Tilson Thomas, David Zinman, James Conlon,
and David Robertson, as well as conducting a performance
on the festival's main stage, and was subsequently invited as
guess conductor to lead the Topeka Symphony Orchestra in a
subscription concert.
As a pianist and vocal coach, he collaborated with Dame
Mignon Dunn of the Metropolitan Opera, and with leading
faculty at Northwestern and DePaul Universities in Illinois.
This sustained immersion in vocal repertoire became a
defining influence on his development as a composer.

In 2004, he settled in Paris to devote himself to composition.
His style is rooted in classical music while incorporating many
other influences ranging from the Jewish Klezmer music, to
Israeli, American, and even contemporary popular music. This
unique combination creates a highly accessible and original
style, which separates him from other composers. His
catalogue spans numerous compositions for choir, voice, and
instrumental music, as well as a full children's musical for
which he wrote both the music and the libretto. His first
cantata, Mahzor Hayim, received its world premiere in Paris in
2007 and was subsequently published by Transcontinental
Music Publications in New York. A concert devoted entirely
to his compositions resulted in the commercial recording
Mahzor Hayim, released in 2018 by the Institut Européen
des Musiques Juives.
For over fifteen years, Itaï Daniel served as music director of
the Ensemble Choral Copernic in Paris. Under his leadership,
the choir became one of Europe's leading Jewish amateur
choirs, performing in Berlin, London, Vienna, Ferrara, Sofia,

and Saint Petersburg. His work Shlosha Yeladim, dedicated to
the memory of children murdered in the Holocaust, was
premiered at the international festival La Voix Étouffée in
Paris.

In 2019, Itaï was invited to join the board of the European
Association of Jewish Choirs. He has since been entrusted
with organizing two major international choral festivals, in
Sofia (2024) and in Paris (2025). He is currently collaborating
with the Institut Européen des Musiques Juives on the
publication of his complete catalogue of works.