Biography
Multi-disciplinary artist, Daniel Dodd-Ellis, was born into a musically talented family that included two of the earliest African American opera singers, Jules Cobb Bledsoe and Roberta Dodd. Daniel studied Theater and Vocal Performance at Sarofim School of Fine Arts at Southwestern University in Texas. During his last year of study, he was awarded an internship at New York City Opera. This was directly followed by an acceptance to the Young Artists program at Austin Lyric Opera in Texas, where he sang in productions of Lucia di Lammermoor, La Traviata, and Tannhäuser. During the opera’s off-season, Daniel joined several new theater productions and festivals in Texas, Boston, Minnesota and New York. He collaborated with notable playwrights and directors, Daniel Alexander Jones and Laurie Carlos on new theatrical works, such as: Earthbirths: the Blackbird Cipher and Blood:Shock:Boogie, both written by Daniel A. Jones, Unmerciful Good Fortune by Edwin Sanchez, and Black Power Barbie by Shay Youngblood.
Subsequently, Daniel’s work led him to Germany, where he continued as a teacher, singer and songwriter. He performed in classical music festivals in Schleswig Holstein, Weimar, Leipzig, and Paris, and in roles spanning from Don Giovanni to baritone soloist in the Händel Messiah. His German theatrical roles include Mephisto in Faust, Wilhelm Davison in Maria Stuart, Prince Escalus in Romeo and Juliet, and Radbod in the critically acclaimed musical, Bonifatius. A children’s advocate, Daniel performs regularly in benefits, including “Words in Forms,” a project for traumatized children, a concert for the children of Afghanistan, and a concert for Basis e.V., benefiting street kids. He also participates in developing new projects, such as Love &War (premiere 2003), Love /Conjure Blues by Sharon Bridgforth (premiere 2004), Phoenix Fabrik (premiere 2006). In 2007, he was chosen to perform the title role in Robert Wilson’s touring blues/gospel opera, “The Temptation of St. Anthony”. Not limited to classical music, Daniel has also sung with German music icons, Marius Müller-Westernhagen and Stefan Gwildis and has collaborated with diverse pop acts, such as Daniel Hall, Patrick Nuo and on the Christian music project, Zeichen der Zeit. With his soul/funk flavored band, Daniel recorded and released his first album in 2008. His latest album, created with New York producer, Quinn McCarthy a.k.a. "Dr. Q", is set release in 2010.
