Daniel Kobialka

Daniel Kobialka (born November 19, 1943 in Lynn, Massachusetts) is an American violinist. Kobialka founded LiSem Enterprises Inc., in 1985 and created Wonder of Sound in 2009.
Inspired by his time performing with major symphonies such as The Boston Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, and the San Francisco Symphony, and a desire to showcase violin music in a way it had not been before, Kobialka's style grew out of his perceived need to explore genres other than classical and continue to bring to light music that is often overlooked. The Company is committed to creating, arranging, producing and recording the finest new-age and classical instrumental music. The LiSem label sets unique standards, as it embraces the therapeutic function that music can bring to people. Kobialka's music is distributed on the LiSem label by Allegro Media Group and is available on his website, www.wonderofsound.com. He is currently on the faculty of the University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, Texas.
Kobialka was commissioned to compose a film score for the "Split Horn" documentary Life of a Hmong Shaman in America, and wrote 10 orchestral and solo violin compositions for various instrumental combinations. His recorded solo artist albums include one for the Advance Recordings, and one for the Desto record label of original works dedicated to him by Lou Harrison, Henry Brant, and Glen Glassow, Donald Martino, and Arnold Franchetti. His accomplishments also include his recording of the Mozart Violin and Piano Sonatas and the Ottorino Respighi Violin Sonata on the Sonic Arts Label. He specialized in performing the Music of Mozart and was the Founding Soloist and Concertmaster of the Mid-Summer Mozart festival Orchestra.
Over his career he commissioned over 30 works from such composers as Pulitzer Prize winners Charles Wuorinen, William Bolcom, Henry Brant, and Wayne Peterson. Other composers who have written and dedicated works for him include: George Rochberg, Vivian Fine, Arthur Custer, Meyer Kupferman, Henry Brant, Marta Ptaszynska, Theodore Antoniou, Fred Fox, Benjamin Lees, and Lou Harrison. He also premiered both solo works and concertos for violin, including Ben Weber’s Violin Concerto No. 1, dedicated to him, with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra under the late Robert Shaw, and served as Concertmaster for the premier of Leonard Bernstein’s Mass, which opened in the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. With the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, he gave both the American premiere of Toru Takemitsu’s “Far Calls, Coming Far,” and the world premiere of Charles Wuorinen’s "Rhapsody."

Principal Second Violinist. San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco, California. September 1975– September 2008. Hired by the famous conductor Seiji Ozawa, as Principal Second Violinist.- Occupied the Dinner and Swig Families Chair. Invited to perform at the International Holistic Health Association’s second "Global Holistic Health Summit" in Bangalore, India, 2002. Personally invited by Seiji Ozawa to perform in the International Nagano Winter Orchestra during the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, 1998. Played on Ray Lynch: Best Of, Volume One and Nothing Above My Shoulders but the Evening at Lynch's invitation. “Concerto for the Zeta-Polyphonic Electronic Violin” premiered, March 1991. Awarded Medium Term Grant to study traditional and contemporary music by the Japanese government. Founding concertmaster and soloist with San Francisco’s Midsummer Mozart Festival Orchestra leading to recording of “Mozart’s Violin Concerto No 1” with George Cleve. Conducted Japanese promotional performance tour, One World Healing Concert 2008, delivered speaking engagements, showcased musical compositions, and performed musical arrangements and collaborations with the Japanese composer, Marth and has performed with many great conductors, given two Major Premiers for Solo Violin and Orchestra of Charles Wuorinen and Toru Takemitsu. Professor. University of California, Berkeley, California. September 2005–Present. Daniel also does a great deal of pro-bono work and serves on Advisory Boards for Beam Foundation, Institute of Holistic Medicine, and Pacific Guquin Association. Community Service work includes Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, Japan, China and various cities in the United States

He is a recipient of the Medium Term Grant to study traditional and contemporary music by the Japanese government.

Formerly based in San Francisco, California, Daniel's recording company, LiSem Enterprises Inc. is now headquartered in San Antonio, Texas and has globally expanded to reach places around the world. The LiSem label has produced a variety of music: relaxation, yoga, massage, meditation, therapy, energy and eclectic music. Daniel Kobialka is an internationally recognized violinist and composer, whose mission has been to link his “special music” to Complementary and Alternative Medicine all over the world. Wonder of Sound has been proud to feature internationally known performers as guest artists. Sound is an expression that can be molded into healing energy and contributing artists serve to challenge traditional music to take the next step and reach all persons. Daniel's goal is to target audiences of every need, so that sound can envelope and surround the ears of people globally and create music of many different genres.

• Echoes of Secret Silence, b/w Nightmusic by Charles Shere. Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra, Kent Nagano, musical director. 1750 Arch Records (1982)
• Pathless Journey: A Tribute to Toru Takemitsu
• Celtic Fantasy
• Celtic Quilt
• Rainbows
• When You Wish Upon A Star
• World On A String
• Dreams Beyond The Twilight
• Path of Joy (1982)
• Timeless Motion (1983)
• Fragrances Of A Dream
• Velvet Dreams
• Oh What A Beautiful Morning
• Going Home Again
• The Gift Of Love
• Silk Branches
• Peace: Musical Inspirations Series
• Lullaby
• Afternoon of a Faun
• In Heavenly Peace
• Colors of love