Daniel Foster

Violist Daniel Foster's varied career encompasses orchestral, chamber and solo playing, as well as teaching. Since capturing the First Prize in both the William Primrose and Washington International Competitions, he has appeared in recital and as soloist with orchestra in Washington, DC and throughout the United States. After studying with Jeffrey Irvine and Lynne Ramsey at Oberlin Conservatory and with Karen Tuttle at The Curtis Institute, Mr. Foster became a member of the National Symphony's viola section in 1993, and was appointed Principal by Music Director Leonard Slatkin in 1995. Mr.

Violist Daniel Foster's varied career encompasses orchestral, chamber and solo playing, as well as teaching. Since capturing the First Prize in both the William Primrose and Washington International Competitions, he has appeared in recital and as soloist with orchestra in Washington, DC and throughout the United States. After studying with Jeffrey Irvine and Lynne Ramsey at Oberlin Conservatory and with Karen Tuttle at The Curtis Institute, Mr. Foster became a member of the National Symphony's viola section in 1993, and was appointed Principal by Music Director Leonard Slatkin in 1995. Mr. Foster has appeared frequently as soloist with the National Symphony since his appointment.

Mr. Foster is a member of the critically acclaimed Dryden Quartet, which he founded along with his cousins Nicolas and Yumi Kendall and National Symphony Concertmaster Nurit Bar-Josef. He was also a member of the Manchester Quartet, and is a founding member of the Kennedy Center Chamber Players. Mr. Foster has performed chamber music at the Marlboro, Bowdoin, Killington and Alpenglow Festivals, and at Strings in the Mountains.

Mr. Foster is on the faculty at the University of Maryland, where his former students have gone on to major orchestral and university positions, and he has been a faculty member at the Bowdoin and Killington festivals. Mr. Foster has given master classes at Oberlin and Peabody Conservatories, the University of Michigan and the Cleveland Institute of Music, and is a regular faculty member for the National Orchestral Institute. In addition, Mr. Foster is a member of the "International Principals" faculty at the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan. The Journal of the American Viola Society published an article by Mr. Foster in 2002. In May 2005 Mr. Foster was a member of the jury for the William Primrose competition, where he also presented a recital.

Mr. Foster comes from a musical family. His father William is also a violist with the National Symphony, and his late grandfather John Kendall was a renowned violin pedagogue.

Video and Audio

Understanding Mozart - Sinfonia concertante in E-flat major for Violin and Viola, K. 364 Kennedy Center

Understanding the Music: Mozart - Sinfonia concertante in E-flat major for Violin and Viola, K. 364

Understanding the Music: Mozart - Sinfonia concertante in E-flat major for Violin and Viola, K. 364

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Meet the Musician: Daniel Foster on touring

Meet the Musician: Daniel Foster on touring

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Meet the Musician: Daniel Foster on American Residencies

Meet the Musician: Daniel Foster on American Residencies

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Additional Resources

Review "At Kennedy Center, A Whale Of a Recital" The Washington Post – Washington, DC (Nov. 15, 2005)

Upcoming Events

National Symphony Orchestra: Sir Mark Elder, conductor / Stephen Hough, piano, plays Liszt 1/16/2014 - 1/18/2014
Elder conducts Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1 featuring Stephen Hough--known for "playing of utmost intimacy and lyricism" (San Francisco Chronicle)--plus R. Strauss's Don Quixote showcasing NSO principals David Hardy and Daniel Foster.
The Kennedy Center Chamber Players play Paganini, Grieg, Leisner & Beethoven 2/9/2014 2:00 PM
Musicians of the NSO perform Paganini's Terzetto Concertante in D major for Viola, Cello, and Guitar, Grieg's Violin Sonata No.3 in C minor, Leisner's Dances in the Madhouse for Violin and Guitar, and Beethoven's Piano Trio in E-flat major.
The Kennedy Center Chamber Players play Glinka, Colgrass & Brahms 3/9/2014 2:00 PM
Musicians of the NSO perform Glinka's Trio Pathétique in D minor for Clarinet, Bassoon, and Piano, plus Colgrass's Variations for Four Drums and Viola and Brahms's Piano Quintet in F minor.

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