Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR)

Known for fusing his classical music roots with a myriad of soundscapes, Haitian-American artist Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) has carved a reputation for himself as a passionately innovative composer, performer, violinist, and band leader. His exploration of musical rhythms and classically-driven sounds is peppered by his own cultural references and vibrant musical imagination.

His unique hybrid style continues to capture new music lovers worldwide. From Australia's Sydney Opera House to South Florida's Kravis Center, DBR is scheduled to premiere solo works and pulsing duets off of his debut international solo album etudes4violin&electronix (Thirsty Ear Recordings) in a 2008 worldwide tour with Elan Vytal aka DJ Scientific. Described as a "demonstration of unquestionable virtuosity and commitment to the violin's expressivity" (All About Jazz), the album showcases a unified dialogue between DBR and ambassadors from today's contemporary musical landscape including Philip Glass, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and DJ Spooky that Subliminal Kid.

As a composer, his dramatic soul-inspiring pieces range from orchestral scores and energetic chamber works to rock songs and electronica. According to the New York Times, his "eclecticism was wide-ranging as ever" in One Loss Plus; DBR's evening-length, multimedia work for electric/acoustic violin, prepared/amplified piano, electronics, and video which debuted at BAM's 2007 Next Wave Festival. Conceived and composed by DBR, One Loss Plus features a collage of resonant conversations between people who have never met--- interwoven from posts submitted from the general public via YouTube and MySpace. Concert projects include 24 Bits: Hip-Hop Studies and Etudes and Event Pieces performed by DBR on piano and laptop; the score for Carl Hancock Rux's contemporary opera Makandal premiering in 2008 at Miami's Carnival Center; ground-breaking fusion of contrasting cultures and instruments with DJ Scientific in DBR's Sonata for Violin and Turntables; and ongoing collaborations with the Orchestra of St. Luke's and the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. DBR also serves as the Artist-in-Residence of the Seattle Theater Group sponsored by Starbucks.

DBR has collaborated with an array of orchestras and chamber ensembles. Most recently, the performances and commissions of WE MARCH, a guitar concerto for the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra and guitarist Eliot Fisk; The Tuscaloosa Meditations, an original piece commemorating the heroism of the desegregation of the University of Alabama; Voodoo Violin Concerto, a virtuosic handling of DBR's Haitian heritage premiered by the Vermont Youth Orchestra; and Call Them All: Fantasy Projections for Film, Laptop, and Orchestra, an orchestral work which received its world premiere at Carnegie's Zankel Hall by the American Composers Orchestra.

As a violinist and performer, DBR has worked with Philip Glass, DJ Spooky, Vernon Reid, Savion Glover, Susan Sarandon, and Cassandra Wilson, and many others. As the band leader of DBR & THE MISSION, a young, multi-cultural ensemble, he presents an electrifying show described as "an evening of chamber music with the accessible feel of a rock concert" (Albany Times-Union). Touring nationwide since 2004, DBR & THE MISSION makes its international debut at Australia's 2008 Adelaide Festival.

Proving that he's "about as omnivorous as a contemporary artist gets" (New York Times), DBR's accolades range from being voted as "America's Assignment" on the CBS Evening News, to receiving praise as one of the "Top 100 New Yorkers" (New York Resident), "Top 40 Under 40" business people (Crain's New York Business), and one of the entertainment industry's "Top 5 Tomorrow's Newsmakers" (1010 WINS Radio).