Biography

D a n i e l O m a n

74´ born in Linz, Austria
During schooltime being teached in electric guitar with W. Bruendlinger
Played in various Rock and Jazz-Fusion groups
After finishing school in 93´ his main interest became the Classical Guitar and he went on to study at the Anton Bruckner Conservatory with W. Jungwirth
Lessons in Fingerstyle Guitar and writing arrangements on tons of paper with M. Langer
He was also introduced to an avantgardistic electric guitar style by F.Schwinn
First CD-Productions and professional engagements in Concerts and Theatre.

98´ :
Shortly before achieving his Classical Guitar Diploma at Conservatory Daniel Oman won
1st Prize at the International Competition of the OPEN STRINGS Guitar Festival Osnabrueck (GER) the leading competition of the Acoustic Fingerstyle-Genre against more than 200 Guitar Players of all kinds with his own compositions.
This led to the CD-Production „new strings 98“ in Peter Fingers Acoustic Music studio and personal contacts on the festival with great players of the scene like Leo Kottke, Ralph Towner, Sergio Assad, Tim Sparks and Claus Boesser Ferrari.
Feeling very free after finishing conservatory and not being involved in a musical schedule anymore he began exploring new musical styles and possibilities.
Main interest at this time was the Acoustic Solo Guitar wich led to the selfproduced CD „Constant Changing“ with his own compositions and performances of solo concerts in Austria and Germany.

99` :
Solo-Recital presenting his own music at the International Open Strings Guitar Festival in Osnabrueck followed by an enthusiastic audience and great critics at leading german guitar magazine AKUSTIK GITARRE and the FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG.

2000 :
After winning the 1st prize in another guitar competition at Gitarrewettbewerb Saarbrücken Oman was getting bored with playing solo and was searching for interaction with other musicians.

A new challenge came when his brother & recorderplayer Michael Oman founded the OMAN CONSORT
A journey in Early Music began while learning guitar and lute styles of early 16th and 17th century on baroque guitar, early renaissance lute, colascione
(an old/new invention of a bass lute) and archiliuto under the guidance of europes finest players with whom he shared stage over the years, like Thomas Boysen, Paolo Grazzi, Balasz Mate, Michael Behringer, Gunar Letzbor and of course brother Michael resulting in numerous CD-Recordings and taking the chance to bring new influences to 17th century music with a wide range of rhythmical ideas and improvised aspects with the likes of jazz-music.
Many of the CD-Productions were honoured with International prizes like the spanish GOLDBERG 5 or the PIZZICATO Luxembourg, praising the ensemble in international critics as a Swingin Baroque Band.
Touring in Europe and concerts on major festivals followed.
Beside the Oman Consort he also played with the Naoki Kitaya Consort Zurich recording a CD of Band-like Bach Interpretations as well as playing with
Ars Antiqua Austria and violinist Gunar Letzbor.

2001 :
Another important ensemble called MTW was founded at nearly the same time bringing together contemporary Avantgarde Jazz and Early Music with new possibilities in integrating the guitar with it´s full acoustic spectrum in a special line-up with saxophone, violoncello, doublebass, lute and acoustic guitars.
The ensemble presents their music in well known jazz clubs, church-concerts and bigger jazz-festival venues. They are also playing with guest musicians like the World Music violin player Rudi Berger or hurdy gurdy virtuoso Mathias Loibner and Australian aboriginal percussionist Tunji Beyer.

Since 2002 Daniel Oman recorded Early and Contemporary music with differnt ensembles for
ORF, SONY BMG, Raumklang (CH), Olive Music, Symphonia (I), Acoustic Music Records (GER)
and did Live-Recordings and TV- Broadcasting for
WDR, NDR, ORF, SWF, Televisiona Kosova
and played countless concerts as a Soloist and Chamber-Musician across Europe with appearences at
Salzburger Festspiele, Resonanzen 04, Carinthischer Sommer, Festwochen Gmunden, International Open Strings Guitar Festival, International Days of Early Music Prague, International Jazz Festival Passau, Inntoene-Festival, Festival Italia Mia, Tage Alter Musik Regensburg, Int. Barocktage Melk, Bozar Music Brussel, Radiokulturhaus Wien, Wiener Konzerthaus, Wiener Musikverein, Int. Music-Festival Warsawa, Brucknerhaus Linz, Philharmonie Berlin.........

Since the year 2000 Daniel Oman is also teaching Acoustic and Electric Guitar at
„Musikschule der Stadt Linz“