Daniel Campolieta

Dan Campolieta is a pianist and organist from Hartford with a wide array of musical skills.  Dan has performed professionally in a variety of styles including jazz piano, classical piano and organ, pop music, instrumental and vocal chamber music, klezmer, classic and contemporary Broadway, rock covers, and wedding music.  Dan's musical interests range from historically informed early music, to the most avant-garde, and everything in between.  He has established himself as an authority of "bookend" music, having concertized with early music as well as the music of Hindemith, Rorem, Crumb, Ives, Cage, Pärt, Messiaen, Nadia Boulanger, and others.

Dan was born on Long Island and began his study of piano at the age of 5.  Upon moving to Simsbury, CT Dan began to show an interest in the organ and church music.  Dan started studying the organ at age 12 and when he was in middle school he began to work as a substitute organist for local churches.  Dan's first appointment as church organist was at First Congregational Church in Granby, CT when he was a sophomore in High School.  Upon accepting admission to UConn, Dan took the position of organist at St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel on the Storrs campus.  Dan held this position from 2003-2005, when he took the position of Minister of Music at First Congregational Church in Unionville, CT.  In Unionville, Dan directed the adult choir, children's music program, and was resident composer for two years.

Dan received a Bachelor of Music in Organ Performance and a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from the University of Connecticut in 2008.  Dan's current position at AHCC includes direction of the children's choir, youth band, bell choir, and other ensembles in addition to being organist and accompanist for all services year-round. An avid composer of jazz music and classical chamber music, recent commissions include compositions for the 26th General Synod of the United Church of Christ - an event at which Barack Obama was the keynote speaker - AHCC's Annual Boar's Head and Yule Log Festival, and Hall High School.

Highlights of Dan's tenure with AHCC include a performance of Poulenc's Organ Concerto in G Minor with local Hartford musicians, the compositional premiere and subsequent performances of his March of the Three Kings at the Boar's Head Festival, the refurbishing of the Chapel Organ and the start of the "Brownbag it with Bach!" concerts and acting as chair of the Simone Belsky Piano Competition.  Dan looks forward to continuing to grow in his position at AHCC and often wonders in this place of infinite opportunity, "What's next?"

For a complete bio, visit Dan's website at www.dancampolieta.com.

Contact Dan at dcampolieta@ahcc.org.