Welcome to the Cobb Symphony Orchestra (CSO)

Orchestra → Meet the Orchestra → Daniel Barker

Daniel Barker hails from the coastal town of Brunswick, Georgia. He made Jackson, Mississippi his home from 1975 to 1980, when he moved to Atlanta. Since then, Daniel has played with several musical groups all over the area, including the DeKalb Symphony, DeKalb Wind Ensemble, Atlanta Winds, Artwood Wind Quintet and one memorable summer in the Seed and Feed Marching Abominables. A veteran of the Cobb Symphony for more than 12 years, Daniel is currently serving as that orchestra’s music librarian, as well as their 3rd and bass clarinetist.

In addition to playing clarinet, Daniel has played in the pit for over twenty musical productions in several different theaters, where he doubled on flute, piccolo and saxophone as well as clarinet.

Not limiting his experience to instrumental music, Daniel is also an eleven year veteran of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus under the leadership of Robert Shaw, where he made at least a dozen recordings and toured Europe in 1988 when the orchestra performed in former East Berlin, Paris, Ludwigsburg, Bristol and London. Daniel was also a member of the Atlanta Opera Chorus for several seasons. In the mid eighties he performed with what was then the Southeastern Savoyards (now Atlanta Light opera) where he was a chorister and sometimes even a soloist in almost every Gilbert and Sullivan opera. It was during this experience that he started playing clarinet again and studied with Ted Gurch, associate principal with the Atlanta Symphony. Not long after, he joined the Cobb Symphony, where he has been happily ensconced ever since. Daniel also just finished his fourth season with the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus.

Daniel has a bachelor of music education from Stetson University and a Master of Music from the University of Southern Mississippi. He currently lives in Smyrna with his 30-pound black lab mix, Mister B.