Daniel Edward Lapp is a Canadian folk musician based in Victoria, British Columbia and Pender Island.
Early life
Lapp was born and grew up in Prince George, British Columbia. His mother, Charlotte Lapp, was a pianist. He learned to play the violin from his grandfather, beginning at age nine. He studied trumpet with Lou Ranger at the University of Victoria, and attended Humber College in Toronto in 1985.
Educator
Lapp became a fiddle teacher, and in 1994, he formed the B.C. Fiddle Orchestra, which showcased a dozen young fiddlers from around British Columbia and a full backup band. The ensemble's debut was in front of about 60,000 people at the Commonwealth Games in Victoria. In 2014, Daniel was appointed as the inaugural Artistic Director of the Victoria Conservatory of Music's Chwyl Family School of Contemporary Music, where he now under the umbrella of the Victoria Conservatory of Music, continues to direct the B.C. Fiddle Orchestra, the "Joy of Life" Choir, and "Folkestra", teaches fiddle and trumpet privately, and is Artistic Director of the Contemporary Music component to the Victoria Conservatory of Music's Postsecondary Diploma in Music Performance.
Performance career
Lapp was a touring member of the folk rock band Spirit of the West in 1988 and 1989,
Lapp has since released a number of albums featuring an experimental brand of folk fused with jazz and electronic influences. He continued to give lessons privately, as well as holding international festival workshops. He later founded the "House of Music" in Victoria, British Columbia.
His trio with English accordionist Martin Green and Canadian guitarist Adam Dobres has become a regular performer at Glasgow's Celtic Connections Festival and Cape Breton's Celtic Colours. He played on John Wort Hannam's 2015 album Love Lives On, played with Susannah Adams at the Hornby Island Music Festival in 2017, and in 2018 performed with 54-40 both locally and at Ottawa's CityFolk Festival.
In 2012, Daniel Lapp received the Queen's Diamond Jubilee "Service" Award. In 2013, he was the recipient of the Canadian Folk Music Association "Innovator" Award for his contribution to Canada's fiddle culture. Besides teaching, this includes a 25 year commitment to collecting indigenous British Columbia fiddle tunes, which includes over 1000 compositions by over 100 British Columbia composers.
In 2019, the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Association honoured Daniel Lapp with the Lifetime Achievement Award when the competition was held in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Lapp received this award for the creation of the B.C. Fiddle Tune Archive, as well as his accomplishments in education, performance and recording.
Discography
- Daniel Lapp (1994)
- Merry Chetmas: A Tribute to Chet Baker (year unknown, as Daniel Lapp Quartet)
- Live and Kickin<nowiki>'</nowiki> (1996, as Daniel Lapp Fiddleharmonic)
- Reunion (2002, as Daniel Lapp and Friends)
- Closer Than They Appear (2002, as Lappelectro)
- Live at Seattle WOMAD, 07/01 (2002, as Lappelectro)
- Fishcakes and Oranges (2013 as Daniel Lapp and the BC Fiddle Orchestra)