Daan Wilms is an innovative percussionist and a distinctive emerging voice in contemporary music. His work bridges the space between composition and improvisation, tradition and experimentation, resulting in performances that are both intellectually stimulating and emotionally immersive. Collaborating with visionary musicians and ensembles across Europe, Daan continually explores new ways to expand and redefine the language of percussion.
After studying a Bachelor Degree at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp, master´s degrees in both classical and contemporary percussion followed at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München under Prof. Raymond Curfs. In 2023, he became the first student in Germany to complete the newly established postgraduate program ´Excellence in Performance´.
Daan's artistry has been recognized with numerous international awards, including First Prize at the Nürnberg Percussion Competition 2022 (Germany), First Prize at the Belfius Music Competition (Belgium), and the Kulturkreis Wettbewerb Gasteig 2023 (Germany). In 2023, he was selected as the first-ever classical percussionist featured in The Twenties, a prestigious series by Belgian Radio and Television (VRT) spotlighting emerging artists.
Driven by a passion for contemporary music and innovative performance practices, he has worked closely with renowned composers such as Steve Reich, Krzysztof Penderecki, Helmut Lachenmann, Jörg Widmann, and Samir Odeh-Tamimi. These collaborations have inspired him to develop his own series of performances that explore the intersection of music, theatre, and visual art.
As an orchestral musician, Daan regularly performs with some of the world’s leading ensembles, including the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic, Munich Chamber Orchestra, Bavarian State Opera, and the Munich Radio Orchestra.