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The English pianist, Daniel Becker, began his keyboard studies at the Junior Guildhall School of Music. He read Music at King's College, Cambridge, studying piano with Jeremy Siepmann. He then attended the Royal Academy of Music, working with James Lisney, where his studies were supported by the Countess of Munster Musical Trust. He was first prize-winner at the British Contemporary Piano Competition in 2003, where he also won the Sonic Arts Network Prize for his performance of Jonathan Harvey's Tombeau de Messiaen. He was a prize-winner at the 2002 Ibla Grand Prize International Competition in Sicily, winning a special mention for his performances of Ferruccio Busoni. His performance at the Orléans 20th-Century Piano Competition won the Prix de composition Chevillion-Bonnaud for Kenneth Hesketh's Three Japanese Miniatures.
Daniel Becker performs regularly in the UK and abroad as a solo recitalist and chamber musician. He gave his debut performance at the Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall, New York, in March 2003. In 2004 he gave his Purcell Room debut with a solo recital for the Park Lane Group New Year Series. Of the latter concert, the Evening Standard wrote: “Becker dazzles with brilliant Boulez ... Becker performed [Incises] with a rare sense of freedom, and brought similar skills to everything he played”. He made Paris debut in May 2005 at the Salle Cortot and his Wigmore Hall debut in June 2005. In November 2005. Daniel gave the London premiere with the Elias Quartet of Alexander Goehr's Piano Quintet at the Conway Hall. He returned to the Purcell Room in March 2006 to give a recital in the Fresh series, of which Musical Pointers said: "a recital to remember and a name to mark for future appearances."
Daniel Becker has received great acclaim for his made his insightful interpretations of standard and contemporary repertoire (20th and 21st century music). He has given world or UK premieres of works by Edward Cowie, Alexander Goehr, Helen Grime, Kenneth Hesketh, Arlene Sierra, Eric Tanguy and Paul Whitmarsh, and has worked closely with many other composers, including Howard Skempton and Horatiu Radulescu.
Much in demand as a chamber and ensemble pianist, Daniel Becker has performed with Endymion Ensemble, Britten Sinfonia, Lontano, Composers' Ensemble (at the Aldeburgh Festival) and Orchestra of the Swan. He performs in a piano duo with Huw Watkins and in the Zimro Trio with violinist Paul Barritt and clarinettist Neyire Ashworth.
Daniel Becker's playing has been heard frequently on BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM. He recorded an album of Alexander Goehr’s chamber and piano music on Meridian (2008). Other recordings include piano works by Howard Skempton and a disc of L.v. Beethoven Sonatas, Variations and the
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