About
Daniel Shao is a versatile British-Chinese flautist who regularly performs with orchestras, ensembles, and as a soloist. Praised for showing “virtuosity, charm, and charisma in abundance” (Ivan Hewitt, The Telegraph), he has played guest principal with the Philharmonia, BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia and Ulster Orchestra. Daniel was previously Associate Member second flute with the Philharmonia from 2019-2021, Principal Piccolo with the European Union Youth Orchestra, and a Fellow at Music Academy of the West in California. He has performed internationally at venues including Carnegie Hall, Vienna Musikverein and Tokyo Bunka Kaikan with the London Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic, and Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra.
Daniel’s awards include winning the Royal Over-Seas League Competition Wind Prize 2024, featuring as a Classic FM Rising Star 2023, and being televised as a BBC Young Musician Wind Finalist 2014. As concerto soloist, he has performed with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (UK premiere of Ma Shui-Long’s Bamboo Flute Concerto), Oxford Philharmonic, Czech National Symphony Orchestra, and has given many solo performances around China. He was selected for the Countess of Munster Recital Scheme and the Philip and Dorothy Green Young Artist Scheme, which led to solo performances all over the UK.
He has been invited for chamber performances at at Presteigne, Leicester, JAM, Newbury, and Buxton festivals, and also at Wigmore Hall and King’s Place. Passionate about new music, he has worked with the London Sinfonietta and Riot Ensemble, studied contemporary techniques with Sophie Cherrier at Lucerne Festival Academy, and is a founding member of Tangram – Associate Artists at LSO St Luke’s. He has premiered solo/chamber pieces by Ben Nobuto, Mark Simpson and Nico Muhly.
Daniel studied at the Purcell School, University of Oxford and Royal Academy of Music with Katie Bicknell, Samuel Coles and Gitte Marcusson, also taking classes with Clara Andrada, Emily Beynon, Kersten McCall and Emmanuel Pahud, graduating with first-class honours, and elected an Associate of RAM in 2025.
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Daniel Shao Flute 