Dan Virgen (b. 2002) is a multi-instrumentalist and composer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and a soon-to-be graduate of the Boyer College of Music and Dance at Temple University with a BA in Music Composition.

During his time at Temple, he has composed for a variety of mixed chamber ensembles, including works for string quartet, a trio for alto saxophone, cello, and 5-string electric bass, as well as various chamber vocal pieces. Additionally, he also has had the opportunity to work with several large ensembles as well. His piece Blue Jay won the Chester County Concert Band Competition in 2023. Later that year, Dan, along with his close friends Adah Kaplan and Knox Oaky created the Philadelphia Composer’s Orchestra; a fully student run orchestra that performed and recorded both Dan, and Adah’s works with Knox Oaky as the conductor. In 2024, Dan traveled to Blonay, Switzerland, where his work On Cycles, featuring the wonderful soprano, Tony Arnold, was performed and recorded at the SoundScapes Festival.

In addition to composing, Dan is an active performer, playing double bass in orchestras and jazz ensembles, euphonium in brass chamber groups and concert bands, and electric bass/guitar in Philadelphia’s vibrant DIY music scene. His experiences as a performer deeply inform his compositional process, allowing him to write with a strong sense of each instrument’s character and capability.

Dan’s compositional approach is deeply idiomatic, centered on the unique expressive qualities and technical strengths of each instrument. He is also a strong believer hat improvisation—however structured or free—is an essential mode of artistic expression. It invites performers to contribute their own creative voice, making each performance a living dialogue between composer and interpreter.

His music is always guided by story—whether personal, cultural, or sociopolitical. Through narrative and emotion, he aims to explore themes of identity, memory, and resistance, often drawing from lived experience and the shifting societal landscapes around him.

Daniel Virgen