Daniel Milan, DMA

Assistant Professor of Music

Academic Areas: Piano, Piano Pedagogy, Class Piano, Functional Piano

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Degrees

DMA in Piano Performance and Pedagogy, University of Oklahoma
MM in Piano Performance, Bowling Green State University
BM in Piano Performance, Kent State University

Profile

Danny Milan teaches Applied Piano, Piano Pedagogy, and Class Piano. Dr. Milan is an active performer, teacher, adjudicator, and composer. In addition to classical performance and composition, he is also known for performances and compositions in both the jazz and pop idioms.

Dr. Milan has performed internationally including in Maccagno, Italy; the Esterhazy Palace in Eisenstadt, Austria; the University of Transylvania in Brașov, România; and the George Enescu Museum in Bucharest, România. Additionally, he performed in a competition showcase recital at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York City in June 2018. Dr. Milan has also performed in masterclasses with esteemed artist faculty that include Alan Chow and Doug Humpherys of the Eastman School of Music, Jerome Lowenthal of the Juilliard School of Music, and Kenny Werner, Artistic Director of the Effortless Mastery Institute at the Berklee College Of Music. During his undergraduate studies at Kent State University, he also opened for the Count Basie Band at Elmhurst College in Illinois with the Kent State Jazz Ensemble. Notable performance competitions include 1st prize in the Piano Division at the Tuesday Musical Competition in Ohio, 2nd prize in Piano in the 2017 Grand Prize Virtuoso “Rome” International Music Competition, and honorable mention in the Golden Key Debut International Piano Competition 2018.

In addition to his career as a classical musician, Dr. Milan is also an established independent pop recording artist and composer. Since 2007 he has written, recorded and independently released seven original albums of music: five alternative pop albums, one live acoustic album, and a classical album of original compositions for solo piano that also includes one work for small orchestra. He recorded an eighth album in 2018 with flutist Octavian Moldovean of all Romanian music, which includes an original work for piano and flute inspired by his Romanian travels that traced his ancestry. The album was followed by a performance tour in Romania in the Summer 2018. As a composer, Dr. Milan received an honorable mention in the Scholastic Composer’s Contest in 2002 for an orchestral piece at age 11 and won second place for a solo piano piece in the same competition in 2008 at age 17.

Dr. Milan is a dedicated pedagogue and teaches undergraduate and graduate applied piano, class piano, clinical keyboard for music therapy majors, chamber music, and coordinates class piano and the piano pedagogy program at Texas Woman’s University since August 2019. He established the first annual summer TWU Piano Institute in 2022 for pianists aged 12-18 and continues as its director. He also adjudicates frequently for piano festivals and competitions of varying ages and styles. Prior to TWU, Dr. Milan spent three years as a teaching assistant at the University of Oklahoma where he received the university-wide Provost’s Certificate of Distinction in Teaching award. He spent time as a music educator while on staff at Green Local Schools in Ohio as director of the high school’s vocal department, and he has kept a studio of private students with a variety of goals, experiences, and backgrounds since 2011.

Dr. Milan is an active member of MTNA and has presented a lightning talk on wellness at a regional conference in Ohio. He has also presented four one-hour workshops as part of his doctoral work at the University of Oklahoma which included topics such as Bartók’s For Children, Romanian pedagogical repertoire for piano, injuries, and pop performance at the piano. Most recently, Dr. Milan gave a poster presentation at the international NCKP 2021 Conference on the piano compositions by Dinu Lipatti and created the online presentation module “Lazăr: Pièces minuscules pour les enfants, Op. 16” as part of the Inspiring Artistry Repertoire Project for the Frances Clark Center. At NCKP 2023, he presented on playing pop music at the piano for the classical musician, a presentation that has also been accepted for MTNA’s 2024 conference in Atlanta.

With his interest, research and focus on Romanian music and musicians, Dr. Milan had an article featured in the Piano Magazine (previously Clavier Companion) in 2019 on the Romanian folk influence on Béla Bartók’s Two Romanian Dances, Op. 8a. His dissertation research takes a detailed look at Romanian pianist, Dinu Lipatti’s work as a composer, specifically his single movement works for solo piano.

Dr. Milan received his Bachelor of Music in piano performance at Kent State University under Dr. Donna Lee and Joela Jones and his Master of Music in piano performance at Bowling Green State University under Dr. Laura Melton. Dr. Milan received the Doctor of Musical Arts in piano performance and pedagogy at the University of Oklahoma under Dr. Jane Magrath in December 2019.

Publications:

“Lazăr: Pièces minuscules pour les enfants, Op. 16.” Inspiring Artistry Repertoire Project (24 January 2022). https://www.claviercompanion.com/article-details/lazar-pieces-miniscules

“Béla Bartók’s Two Romanian Dances, Op. 8a and the Romania Folk Influence.” Clavier Companion (March/April 2019)

Piano Works, Volume I. Green, OH: Milan Recording, 2016

“A Compositional and Performer’s Analysis of Dinu Lipatti’s Fugue, Romantic Sonata, and Nocturnes.” DMA diss., Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma, 2019

Recordings:

Zestre Românească, with Octavian Moldovean. Green, OH: Milan Recording, 2018

Panorama. Green, OH: Milan Recording, 2014

Bridge to Sky City. Green, OH: Milan Recording, 2012

8/11/10: Live at Theatre 8:15. Green, OH: Milan Recording, 2011

Cast Away Mariners and the Nostalgic Time Travellers. Green, OH: Milan Recording, 2010

Falling. Green, OH: Milan Recording, 2009

I’ll Sing About Her Instead. Green, OH: Milan Recording, 2008

The Riverfront. Green, OH: Milan Recording, 2007

Page last updated 3:35 PM, February 20, 2024