Danny Rand was born here in Lewiston Maine. He began playing the cello when he was young, studying classical music with James Kennedy (PSO) and performing with Bluegrass groups. Danny attended Bowling Green State University in Ohio where he studied with Dr. Alan Smith. He has performed with the Dearborn Symphony Orchestra, Terra State Community College Orchestra and the Milenius String Quartet.

Danny is also the featured instrument in a popular function band, The Dapper Gents, from Portland Maine (where Danny currently resides). With this group, Danny performs 150-200 gigs a year, many of which are large weddings all over New England.

Danny has an incredibly progressive approach to his instrument. While rooted in strong classical technique, his musical interests are not contained by any boundaries or definitions, this is almost immediately recognizable in his playing. Danny can go from the sweet and stately tone the cello is known for, to a biting jazz timbre, and then will run his cello through a guitar amp and pedal board where the sounds of synthesizers and electric guitars can be mimicked; Danny will showcase all of these skills during his set tonight.

As the world becomes more of a global society, we will inevitably seeing the genetic marriages of all kinds of different genres and art forms; Danny is a unique representation of this union. By weaving a program that takes the listener from Bach to Jazz to Taylor Swift, Danny helps usher us closer toward inevitable the future of musical creation.

This event is presented by the Olin Concert Series.

This event is FREE, but reservations required.

The Bates College Department of Music is excited to announce that departmentally hosted concerts, indoors and out, are officially open to the public for fully vaccinated individuals, masks required. Please read our Concert Attendance Policy for more information.