Daniel de Arakal

Dr. Daniel de Arakal is an Assistant Professor and Instructional Faculty member at the Conservatory of Music within Chapman University's College of Performing Arts. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from Claremont Graduate University, a Master of Music from the University of Southern California, and a Bachelor of Music from Chapman University. His work spans classical guitar performance, composition, and education.

Research interests include expanding classical guitar repertoire through arrangements of piano and orchestral works (e.g., Rachmaninoff, Shostakovich), historical transcriptions (e.g., Silvius Leopold Weiss lute works), and curriculum development. He created a nationally recognized guitar curriculum at Orange County School of the Arts and serves as president of the Orange County Guitar Circle.

Recent creative work: Released the album Guitaromanie: A Celebration of Carulli and Sor (2021), developed online courses like Tonebase Beginning Guitar Course (2019), and authored ensemble arrangements for guitar duos, trios, and quartets (2018).

Teaching focuses on fundamentals and accessibility, demonstrated in his 2023 Tonebase video course. He advocates for classical guitar's rich history and diverse repertoire through performance, pedagogy, and community engagement.