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Daniel Collins began singing at the age of seven as a chorister at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford.
After obtaining a first-class degree in music from Magdalen College, Oxford, he continued his studies at the Royal College of Music under Ashley Stafford. Since then, he has performed extensively around the UK, Europe and the Americas as a consort singer and soloist, and since 2014 has been a regular member of The Sixteen.
With The Sixteen, Daniel has recently performed as a soloist in a series of Purcell’s Welcome Songs and Odes at the Wigmore Hall, Sir James MacMillan’s Stabat Mater at the Barbican and on tour, Buxtehude’s Membra Jesu Nostri, Bach's Magnificat in D, and Vivaldi’s Gloria, alongside a busy schedule of the Choral Pilgrimage, recordings and foreign tours. Most recently he was the alto soloist for The Sixteen's performances of Vivaldi's Gloria. He also sings regularly with Tenebrae, The Marian Consort and the Gabrieli Consort, amongst others, and was involved in the widely acclaimed performances of Handel's Messiah with Emmanuelle Haïm and Le Concert d’Astrée.
Earlier in the summer he performed Vaughan Williams's Songs
of Travel in a recital to mark the
60th anniversary of the composer's death, at St Martin's,
Dorking. Future solo
engagements with the Sixteen include
further performances of Macmillan's Stabat Mater in New
York, alongside Purcell Welcome Songs, Handel's
Israel in Egypt and Foundling Hospital Anthem.
Daniel is becoming more in demand as a conductor, both in choral and orchestral repertoire. He has deputised at several London churches, including All Saints Church, Margaret Street and All Saints, Fulham.
Whilst studying he conducted large-scale works such as
Mozart’s Don Giovanni and
Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. Since then he has conducted a wide
range of repertoire – a
particular highlight being
Faure’s Requiem in Copenhagen. In 2018, whilst training
under the mentorship of Paul
Brough and Peter Hanke, he established the new concert
series ‘MusicFor’ which sees young
musicians take to the stage in a variety of ensembles and
programmes.
The Sixteen presents Bach’s Magnificat at Rochester Cathedral, by Anna Morell. 26th February 2017 Posted by Anna Morell
The standout moments for me were Daniel Collins’ solos – an alto, his voice has an astonishing purity. ‘Et misericordia…’ can be touched by melodrama, but not a bit of it here. A soaring, drawing in to the mercy articulated with such emotion that I found my made-up eyes a little pandafied afterwards. His second solo accompanied by the most delicious flutes was similarly extraordinary. ‘Esurientes implevit bonis et divites dimisit inanes’ can be a bit… well, twee and inanes. This rendition had depth, texture, a sincerity and a serenity borne of lightness (again, that lightness – such a departure for the playing of most Bach).
22/4/2018 Classic FM, The Sixteen and the Genesis Foundation present the first ever live streamed concert from the Sistine Chapel, Daniel was one of the soloists for the amazing performance of Sir James MacMillan’s Stabat Mater in the Sistine Chapel, Rome.
The Sixteen win the prestigious 2018 Royal Philharmonic Society Ensemble award.
After the award ceremony a piece from a live recording on Radio 3 featuring Daniel as one of the soloists was played.