Daniel Murphy

Daniel Murphy specialises in Baroque & Renaissance Lute, Theorbo, and other historical plucked string instruments. Taking inspiration from the great lute players of the past, and the leading players of the last 25 years, historical accuracy is at the heart of his music-making.

Entering the Royal College of Music as a Guitarist, he gradually transitioned to the historical performance department and in his third year, he became RCM’s first ever undergraduate principal-study theorbo player, winning the Christopher Hogwood Scholarship and studying with Jakob Lindberg. In 2023, he graduated from a Masters of Performance Degree with Distinction.

During his time studying at the Royal College, Daniel became sought after as one of the most exciting young continuo players in London, and began working with professional ensembles across the UK and Europe. Amongst the many ensembles he has appeared with, notable highlights include performances of the Monteverdi Vespers with The Taverner Consort, joining Florilegium for performances of their scintillating ‘Bolivian Baroque’, and performing with the Dunedin Consort in their ground-breaking performances of the Markus Passion.

Alongside his work with larger groups, he has also become recognised as one of the leading lutenists of his generation in the field of Lute Song. Regularly performing with Emma Kirkby, Hugh Cutting & Mary Bevan, Daniel’s sensitive and thoughtful playing has been praised far and wide, including at his Wigmore Hall debut with Hugh Cutting.

Daniel is passionate about the Lute as a multi-faceted instrument, and as a result plays with many different sized ensembles and as a soloist. He is a core member of the 6 strong Bellot Ensemble (2025 BBC New Generation Baroque Ensemble) and a founder member of the Flutes & Frets Duo with flautist Beth Stone. The Duo has won numerous international awards including the Romanus Weichlein Prize for the advancement of Austrian Music at the 2023 International H.I.F. Biber Competition and the 2022 La Follia Nuova International Chamber Music Competition.

As a soloist, Daniel has made great efforts to expand the repertoire of the Renaissance & Baroque Lute through academic study and research. He ardently believes in the Lute as a solo instrument and has come up with a number of different recital programmes in 2025-26 to demonstrate the various capabilities of the instrument. He was very pleased to win the 1st International Solo Lute Competition organised by the German Lute Society in 2025, and the 2024 La Risonanza EMSA Competition.

Daniel is very experienced at performing on solo & ensemble recordings. His CD’s with Flutes & Frets and Bellot Ensemble have been met with critical acclaim, and in 2027 he is looking forward to recording his first full solo album on Lute.

Faculties / departments: Historical Performance

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