Daniel Ramjattan

As an active concert and recording artist, teacher, and performance coach, I balance a diverse and exciting music career. As an ambassador for guitar music in Canada, I’ve had the honor of premiering dozens of new chamber and solo works in places like Austria, Italy, across Canada, the United States, Trinidad and Tobago, Germany, and Japan. Over the years, I’ve received top prizes in several provincial and national solo guitar competitions, and have performed at festivals like Koerner Hall's 21C Festival, Open Ears, Guitar Alla Grande, INNERChamber, Ottawa Chamberfest, and events like Liona Boyd's induction into Canada's Walk Of Fame on CBC. One of my most memorable moments included my concerto soloist debut with Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez in 2023 with the Stratford Symphony and solo guitar concerts for the Vancouver Classical Guitar Festival, the Guitar Society of Toronto, and the Winnipeg Guitar Society.

My debut studio album, Inspirations: New Works for Solo Guitar, showcases six brilliant works by Canadian composers, including three world premiere recordings. It was an honor to have CBC Radio’s Paolo Pietropaolo feature it as the Record of the Week in March 2022, with WholeNote Magazine describing my playing as "beautifully clean." The album, funded by an Ontario Arts Council recording grant, is available on all major streaming platforms. I’ve also been fortunate to have my YouTube videos featured on blogs like ThisIsClassicalGuitar and I Care If You Listen. I have also recorded solo guitar videos for the renowned Siccas Guitars channel in Karlsruhe, Germany.

I hold a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Toronto, my dissertation focused on music performance anxiety (MPA) in classical guitarists. I received a senior doctoral fellowship from New College in 2021-2022 to help complete this work. I enjoy sharing insights from my research with my guitar students and performance coaching clients, and I’ve given lectures on the topic at institutions like McGill University, the University of Toronto, Wilfrid Laurier University, the University of Western Ontario, Memorial University, Mount Royal University, and many more. CBC television’s The National and  Leah Roseman's "Conversations with Musicians" podcast have also interviewed me as an expert on music performance anxiety. Beyond the classroom, I do personal performance coaching with individuals from various disciplines to help them manage their experience of MPA.

I first joined Wilfrid Laurier University's Faculty of Music as a guitar instructor and lecturer in 2020. I’m particularly proud of designing and launching the faculty’s first music performance anxiety and performance skills course in Fall 2022. My students have achieved remarkable successes, including top prizes at the OMFA Ontario provincial guitar competition, the RCM Gold medal, and admission to undergraduate and graduate programs across Canada. I’ve also had the opportunity to adjudicate several national competitions, including the, the FCMF National Music Festival, the Canada West Performing Arts Festival, and various local festivals across Ontario. In 2024, I was also appointed to the Faculty of the Royal Conservatory of Music's Oscar Peterson School. Former graduates of Laurier's guitar program have won first prize in the FCMF National Music Competition, placed second in the GuitarFest West International Guitar Competition, and graduated from Master's programs from across the country.

Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to have incredible mentors, including Patrick Roux, Dr. Jeffrey McFadden, the late Bruce Holzman, Lorenzo Micheli, and Jorge Caballero. I’ve also participated in masterclasses with world-renowned artists like Sergio Assad, Judicael Perroy, Pavel Steidl, Pepe Romero, and Fabio Zanon, among others. I’ve won first prize in competitions such as the Ottawa-Gatineau guitar competition and the OMFA Provincial Guitar Competition open level in 2014 and 2016. Additionally, I placed second in the FCMF National Guitar Competition in 2016 and was a finalist in the Montreal and Hamilton International Guitar Competitions.