Youth
Daniels was born in
Spartanburg, South Carolina, the son of two singing teachers. He began to sing as a boy soprano, moving to
tenor as his voice matured. His father, Perry Daniels, was one of the pre-eminent members of the performing faculty during each summer at Brevard Music Center, linked to the School of Music at Converse College in Spartanburg. He studied music at the
Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. Dissatisfied with his achievements as a tenor, Daniels switched to singing countertenor during graduate studies at the
University of Michigan.
Professional debut
Daniels made his professional singing debut in 1992. In 1997, he won the
Richard Tucker Award. In 1999, he made his debut with the
Metropolitan Opera as Sesto in
Giulio Cesare
. His repertoire has grown to include other major Handel's roles, including Julius Caesar: Arsace in the comedy
Partenope (at the
Lyric Opera of Chicago), the title role in
Tamerlano
and Arsamene in
Xerxes
. At the
Bavarian State Opera in Munich he played the title roles in
Rinaldo
and
Orlando
as well as David in
Saul
. Furthermore he interpreted Ottone in
Monteverdi's
L'Incoronazione di Poppea
. In
Vivaldi's opera
Bajazet
, he sang the role of Tamerlano.
Daniels has also branched out from the baroque roles usually associated with counter-tenors to include Oberon in
Benjamin Britten's
Midsummer Night's Dream
at the Metropolitan Opera and as Orfeo in
Gluck's
Orfeo ed Euridice
at the
Royal Opera House,
Covent Garden.
Art songs
In addition to his operatic work, Daniels also gives regular recitals, for which he has developed a repertoire that includes nineteenth and twentieth century art songs not usually associated with countertenors, with works by such composers as
Berlioz and
Poulenc.