About Us
Marshall McDaniel
Born in Topanga, California, Marshall discovered his passion for composing in fourth grade after hearing Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. Growing up at his family’s Theatricum Botanicum, he was immersed in classical drama and folk music. Starting on piano before shifting to cello, he studied in Germany for eight years, training at conservatories in Trossingen, Mannheim, and Berlin. He performed with orchestras such as the Nationaltheater Mannheim and Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz.
In Berlin, Yoel Gamzou commissioned his first orchestral work, Uncontrollable Lust, leading to multiple commissions, including a cello concerto for Emanuel Graf. After graduating from UdK Berlin in 2012, he composed The Five Minute Orchestra Extravaganza before returning to Los Angeles, where he worked in film and TV music and served as Theatricum Botanicum’s Music Director.
In 2019, he became Music Director of the National Youth Ballet, creating original dance pieces. His latest work, Man Making Machine, premiered at the 2023 Beethoven Festival in Bonn.
Kellen McDaniel
is a violist, composer, singer and author. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Kellen is a graduate of The Juilliard School (Bachelor of Music, 2013) and The Royal Conservatoire of The Netherlands (Master of Music - Solo Viola and Chamber Music, 2015,17). Solo and chamber performances featured by Ameropa International Music Festival (Prague), Schlern International Music Festival (Italy) Banff Masterclasses (Canada), The Heifetz Institute (USA), Music Academy of the West (USA), Harmos Festival (Portugal), Aspen Music Festival (USA), PODIUM Festival (Germany), Bundes Jugend Ballet Hamburg (Germany), International Summer Academy (Austria), Lucerne Festival (Switzerland) and The Prix de Lausanne (Switzerland). Kellen McDaniel is a founding member of Babylon Quartet, a Den Haag based string quartet as well as viola duo Black Büyü. They won Het Grote Kammermusikprijs 2015 and 2019 and were finalists at Grachtenfestival Concours 2016. They have been featured in many concert series such as Jenine Jenson and Friends, Delft Chamber Music Festival, Grachtenfestival, Buma Classical, Festival Klasiek, ECMA Sessions Vilnius and Graffenegg, and more.