Daniel Susnjar
Drumhacker / Daniel Susnjar Afro-Peruvian Jazz Group / Daniel Susnjar Jazz Quartet / TRISK
Overview
Daniel Susnjar is a Western Australian drummer/composer/producer/educator. He has performed and recorded with music legends including Chick Corea, Bobby McFerrin, Steve Miller, Terence Blanchard, Hank Marvin and Dave Grusin, and has toured throughout the USA, Peru, Australia, Asia and the Caribbean Islands.
As director of the internationally renowned Daniel Susnjar Afro-Peruvian Jazz Group, he has released four critically-acclaimed albums (“Su Su Nje” in 2014, “Moth to a Flame” in 2016, “Spark” in 2018 and “The Recipe” in 2020), has toured throughout Australia and the USA, and has won multiple awards including the 2019 and 2017 APRA/AMCOS Art Music WA State Awards, the 2021, 2017 and 2016 WAM awards for Best Jazz Act, the 2015 Australian Jazz Bell Awards (2 categories) and the 2021 and 2015 WAM Jazz Song of the Year awards. In 2018, Daniel performed alongside Peruvian percussion legend Alex Acuña at the renowned Australian Ultimate Drummers Weekend, and has performed internationally with elite Afro-Peruvian Jazz artists since 2010.
Culminating in his brand new solo project Drumhacker (involving real-time interplay between the hybrid acoustic/electronic drum kit and audio/visual devices ), Daniel’s solo drumming can be heard throughout the James Bogle-directed documentary film “Whiteley,” winner in 4 categories at the 2017 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, and winner of the 2017 APRA/AMCOS Screen Music Award for “Best Music for a Documentary.” Additionally, Daniel was honored as Best Drummer/Percussionist at the WAM awards in 2018 and 2016.
Daniel performed and studied intensively in the USA from 2008-2013, earning Doctoral and Masters degrees from the University of Miami Frost School of Music. In addition to his performing/composing activities, he is an adjunct lecturer at WAAPA – where he founded the WAAPA Afro-Peruvian Ensemble in 2017.