Originally from Columbia, Mississippi, Buck McDaniel is the current Kulas Composer Fellow at Cleveland Public Theatre (OH). Commissions include an arrangement of Nico Muhly’s BRIGHT MASS WITH CANONS for the Boston University Tanglewood Institute Festival Chorus and a new work for organist Todd Wilson premiered at the 2014 Pipeworks Festival in Belfast, Ireland. Commissioned by the Cleveland Museum of Contemporary Art, his works PUT IT ALL IN and LABYRINTH have been broadcast on the classical music radio station WCLV, and his work THREE MOVEMENTS was performed by the Cleveland Chamber Symphony as part of their 2015 NEOSonic Festival. Both the Cleveland Public Library and Cleveland Public Theatre have hosted performances of his cycle SOUTHERN SONGBOOK. Most recently, his work MUHLY VARIATIONS was released on a disc issued by the Centaur Label. His works have been heard in Lincoln Cathedral (UK), Hereford Cathedral (UK), the Gem Theatre (Detroit), Heinz Chapel (Pittsburgh), St Peter’s Cathedral (Jackson, MS), the Institute of Music (Cleveland), the College-Conservatory of Music (Cincinnati), and New York University.

McDaniel holds the position of Organist & Choirmaster at St Andrew’s Church: an historic, Episcopal parish in the inner-city; Assistant Organist at St John Nepomucene Parish in Cleveland’s historic Slavic Village neighborhood; and Director of Music at St John’s, Ohio City - the oldest church in Cleveland. As a keyboardist, he as appeared as organ soloist with the Cleveland Philharmonic and performed with ensembles at Severance Hall, Trinity Cathedral, and the Natchez Opera Festival. Additionally, he served as Assistant Music Director for Cleveland Public Theatre’s 2017 Loush Sisters production. He studied composition at Cleveland State University with Andrew Rindfleisch and Gregory D’Alessio, organ with Todd Wilson and Lavert Stuart, and privately in New York City with composer Timothy Andres. He is 1/4 of the Cleveland-based band times10.