Who is Daniel Koek?
Singer, Actor and lover of food! Former Valjean in West End Production of Les Miserables, drinker of good Barossa Red.
What would you do differently to what you do now?
I’d probably be a winemaker!
Who inspires you and why?
Anthony Warlow – what a voice, what a gentleman and what a journey!
What would you do to make a difference in the world?
I like to think I’m constantly making a difference, however if time permitted I would like to go volunteer in Africa or somewhere that is in desperate need of help.
Favourite holiday destination and why?
Bali – just come back from a week with my family! Tropical Paradise!
When friends come to town, what attraction would you take then to, and why?
I live in London now and everyone wants to see Big Ben and a West End show!
What are you currently reading?
My GoPro manual… lol
What are you currently listening to?
Buddha Bar Chillout Number 8 ( still in holiday mode!)
Happiness is?
Good food, wine and quality time with my family.
What does the future hold for you?
More of the same hopefully, looking forward to a great time at the Cabaret Festival, and further album promotion when I get back to the UK, plus a few concerts at the Proms.
Daniel Koek is unique amongst artists. On one hand, he is a classically trained singer who has performed at the Reis Opera Company in the Netherlands and the National Youth Opera. On the other, he is globally renowned in musical theatre, having been the youngest and longest serving Jean Valjean at the Queen’s Theatre in London’s West End. This combination has enabled him to create a solo album drawing from the best of both, creating something truly special. Daniel’s voice has transfixed audiences across three continents, with over two million people having seen him perform live.
Born in Gawler, South Australia, Daniel studied Classical Voice and Japanese at the Conservatorium of Music, Adelaide. He won the Young Achievers Award in 2003 and the coveted Young Artist Scholarship Program with the State Opera of South Australia. He has also sung with Reis Opera Company in the Netherlands and was subsequently cast to perform the lead role in a new work for the National Youth Opera Festival in Amsterdam.
He then moved to London and was awarded a place in the Musical Theatre Post Graduate Course at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. Daniel is now firmly established as one of musical theatre’s leading men with a catalogue of roles to his name. In recent years, he has played Tony in the 50th Anniversary production of West Side Story to great critical acclaim.
He then went on to play Anatoly Sergievsky in Craig Revel Horwood’s award-winning production of Chess, which toured the UK and Italy. Daniel performed the role of Lt Cable in the Lincoln Centre production of South Pacific that premiered at the Barbican in London and later reprised the role at the Sydney Opera House for Opera Australia. Most recently, he played Jean Valjean in the West End production of Les Miserables.
Daniel’s other roles include Jason in Jason and the Argonauts, principal cast member in Pacific Overtures at the Leicester Haymarket, Father Frank Jnr and understudy for DJ Monty in the international tour of Saturday Night Fever (which took him to Korea, Taipei and Taiwan) and lead roles in Songs for a New World, My Fair Lady and The Mikado. His achievements haven’t gone unrecognised and last year, he became an official Friend of Qantas, as they continue their support of Australian artists abroad.
Daniel will be performing Bringing Him Home With His West End Story at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 June 2015. For more information, visit: www.adelaidecabaretfestival.com.au for details.
Image: Daniel Koek – photo by Leo Holden