Daniel Newman-Lessler

Daniel Newman-Lessler is the assistant conductor and accompanist for the Los Angeles Zimriyah Chorale, which is directed by Dr. Nick Strimple and is Southern California’s premier Jewish choir. He also conducts two youth orchestras, the Kadima Conservatory Philharmonic and Kadima Senior Philharmonic, and he conducts the Pleasant Valley School District Chorus. He is the pianist for the Singer Chamber Players, founded by David Singer of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. He has been teaching piano for thirteen years.
Daniel graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor in Music in Piano Performance with emphasis in composition from the USC Thornton School of Music, where he studied with Daniel Pollack. He received USC’s Discovery Scholarship for his senior recital at the USC Caruso Catholic Church, in which he performed obscure piano works and conducted Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater. He is currently pursuing a master degree in sacred music with specialization in Jewish sacred music at the USC Thornton School of Music, where he studies with Nick Strimple. He is the recent recipient of the USC Skull and Dagger Society Scholarship.
He has participated in summer programs for conducting, composing, and piano performance at the: Idyllwild Arts Academy; International Summer Academy of Music in Ochsenhausen, Germany; Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Sopron, Hungary; Oregon Bach Festival with Helmuth Rilling; Los Angeles Conductors Workshop with Kenneth Kiesler; and the Conductors Retreat at Medomak in Maine, also with Kenneth Kiesler.
He has sung with Andrea Bocelli, Natalie Cole, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, and David Foster. This year, he is serving as the interim cantor for the Jewish High Holiday services at Temple Ner Ami.
This will be his ninth year serving as music director of the Daniel Pearl World Music Days festival in Camarillo, CA. This festival is dedicated to the memory of journalist and musician Daniel Pearl and his belief in music’s ability to bring people of all kinds together.