Dan Moriyama - Accompanist

Dan Moriyama, born in 1975 to a Japanese father and English mother, took up the piano at the age of 5. Three years later he won the top scholarship to study music at Wells Cathedral School in Somerset and at 15 reached the televised semi-finals of BBC Young Musician of the Year. After leaving Wells he continued his musical studies at the Junior Royal Academy of Music, switching focus to piano accompaniment and electro-acoustic composition.

In 1994 he embarked on a joint jazz/classical degree at the Guildhall School of Music, studying piano with Andrew Ball (classical) and Simon Purcell (jazz), and winning the Spencer Boney Memorial Prize for contemporary piano performance before graduating in 1998.

Dan now works as a freelancer in a wide variety of musical areas including session work, pop & jazz gigs, teaching, leading music workshops and accompanying of all kinds. He particularly specialises in accompanying singers, both individuals and groups, and is the regular pianist for 3 choirs.

He has performed as pianist/keyboard player with artists including Donna Summer, Jimmy Somerville & Gloria Scott, with the Siobhan Davies Dance Company and Latin Ballroom show Latin Fever (West End & UK Tour) and worked as rehearsal pianist for West End shows including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. He has worked both on and off camera for TV shows including Fame Academy & X Factor, and played in the band for the Pop Idol UK Arena Tour.

Dan also fronts rock band Tomokiyo, as lead singer/bassist and song writer - www.myspace.com/tomokiyo