Daniel Volovets
Daniel Volovets is a guitarist, composer, arranger, and instructor specializing in classical, flamenco, Latin-American, and jazz music. Although born in the United States, his music is informed first and foremost by his Russian heritage. He was raised in a household of constantly reverberating musical notes – passionate melodies of Russian/Ukrainian folklore, gently swaying Brazilian rhythms intermingled with the nearly-untranslatable sentiment of saudade, and fiery strumming of flamenco masters, among others.
Daniel began his studies at the age of 7 with renowned Russian classical guitarist Anatoly Shapiro and subsequently studied with classical/flamenco guitarist Tony Hauser and legendary flamenco guitarist “El Payo” Humberto Wilkes. Daniel’s mastery of many genres and aesthetics is evident in the breadth of his repertoire, which spans numerous countries and eras. He is an accomplished arranger and composer, exploring the harmonic possibilities of the guitar in solo and ensemble contexts. Daniel is a prolific performer, giving concerts regularly throughout the Twin Cities at a wide range of venues and with the sponsorship of various organizations, including the Cedar Cultural Center, the Minnesota Guitar Society, and Zorongo Flamenco Dance Theatre. Recently, he appeared in the Emmy-winning television program “Hippocrates Cafe: Reflections on the Pandemic,” to which he contributed his original composition “A Meadow by the Sea.” He also maintains an active teaching practice, working with students of all ages and skill levels.
Daniel has released seven full-length albums — Watercolors of the World (2008), Silhouette (2009), Rite of Passage (2011), Rainy Highway (2014), Wistful Tendrils (2015), Echoes of Love (2016), and Masquerade (2019) — as well as several EP-length releases, including a collaboration with Manila-born vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Jireh Calo titled The Kwarto Session (2020) and Live (2020), a collection of highlights from Daniel’s duo repertoire with his brother Adrian Volovets. Daniel primarily plays guitars built by luthier Stephen Kakos. Daniel graduated from the University of Minnesota Medical School with an M.D. and balances careers in medicine and music, now as a psychiatry resident at the Hennepin-Regions Psychiatry Training Program.
