Daniel Masmanian was born in 1980. He studied piano and violin in Surrey, UK, before continuing on to study composition under David Horne at the Royal Northern College of Music. After moving to Australia, Daniel worked as a répétiteur at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts, West Australian Opera as Music Director for Regional Touring/ Education, as Artist in Residence at Lasalle College Singapore, and attended the Lisa Gasteen National Opera School as a répétiteur under a full scholarship. As a conductor, he assisted his mentor Will Humburg in Deutsche National Theater’s 2009 production of Turandot and Theater Bonn’s 2010 production of Katá Kabanová as well as conducting the OperaBox productions of Così fan tutte (2011) and La Bohème (2012).

Daniel gained his doctorate at the University of Western Australia in composition and conducting in 2016, supported by Australian Postgraduate Awards and university scholarships.​ Daniel’s theatre, solo, chamber and orchestral works Shinglebend  and  Scurrilous Words have been recorded by the Australian String Quartet and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra for the ABC, and for the ABC Young Perfomer’s Awards, and his songs and arias from his two operas Ardi and Teufels Nacht have been performed across Europe and North America.

Daniel moved to Berlin in 2013, where he worked for TUI Cruises as a music director and vocal coach, and studied at the Järvi Conducting Academy with a generous private sponsorship. Returning to Australia in 2016 he moved into liturgical music as Organist and Director of Music at St John the Evangelist (2016-2025) and later Choral Director of the Basilica of St Patrick, both in Fremantle.

As an educator, Daniel has taught violin, piano and composition at Scotch College/ PLC and Lasalle College, was Head of Strings and Accompanist at St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls, and is an examiner for ATAR performance. Currently Daniel teaches at JSRACS and Mundaring Christian College and from his studio in Mundaring.

As of 2026, Daniel performs, teaches and coaches, and directs the orchestra and choirs of the Perth Bach Society and is Organist and Choir Director at St Cuthbert’s Anglican Church, Darlington.