“Cosley is a real, gifted musician with genuine skills as a composer. He belongs to a restricted community of guitarists who place music even above the guitar and that’s the main reason why I believe in him.” – Roland Dyens
“Cosley has all the stuff.” – Marc Ribot
Discography
• Summertime (single with Mario Diaz) (2016)
• The Night Was (2015)
• The Napoleon of Naka-Ita (2015)
• Black Impact, with percussionist Elliott Hasiuk (2013)
• Rising, with saxophonist/producer Jacob Saunders (2012)
• Cloud-Hidden, Whereabouts Unknown, with percussionist Elliott Hasiuk (2011)
• World Folk Songs, with fellow directors of the Japan Guitar Ensemble Association (Gendai, 2011)
• Ensō, with guitarist Nathan Kolosko (Corda Vuota, 2009)
• Midwestern Hieroglyphs V. 2, The Mandala Duo with violinist Steve Lovinger (2009)
• Midwestern Hieroglyphs V. 1, The Mandala Duo with violinist Steve Lovinger (2008)
• Scenes from Ellis Island, by Benjamin Verdery (Recording with Tokyo Guitar Ensemble, 2008)
• Circle Music, Solo electric guitar (2007)
• Concerto No.1 for Guitar, live at the Lamont School of Music (by Dan Cosley) (2006)
• The Mandelbrot Set, The Mandala Duo with violinist Steve Lovinger (2006)
Videography
Visit YouTube
Compositions & Publications
• Deep River for two 13-string kotos and 17-string bass koto. (2016)
• Goodbye Pork Pie Hat and Fables of Faubus by Charlie Mingus (arrangements for solo electric guitar) (2016)
• Pur ti miro from L’incoronazione di Poppea by Claudio Monteverdi (arrangement for high & low voice with an original guitar continuo) Publisher: Les Productions d’OZ (2016)
• Scales & Modes for Guitar. Publisher: Les Productions d’OZ (2015)
• Echoland (for solo guitar) (2014)
• Duke Ellington’s Satin Doll and In A Sentimental Mood (arrangements for 3 guitars) (2014)
• Trio in C Major Op. 87 by Ludwig van Beethoven (arrangement for 3 guitars) Publisher: Les Productions d’OZ (2013)
• Ten Textures: Studies in Reading, Technique, and Harmony. Publisher: Les Productions d’OZ (2012)
• Waltz Triptych: An Introduction, article. Publisher: Gendai Guitar Magazine (May issue 2011)
• Easy Pieces For Guitar Ensemble Vol. 2, World Famous Songs No. 1, with fellow directors of the Japan Guitar Ensemble Association. Publisher: Gendai Guitar (2011)
• Waltz Triptych for guitar quartet or guitar ensemble. Commissioned by the Guitar Ensemble Association of Japan. Publisher: Les Productions d’OZ (2010)
• Ensō for guitar duo. Publisher: Les Productions d’OZ (2009)
• Water Strider for guitar quartet or guitar ensemble. Publisher: Les Productions d’OZ (2008)
• Dark Match for oboe, clarinet and bassoon (2007)
• Etudes for guitar (2006-2007)
• Concerto for Guitar (2005)
• Permanent Midnight II for guitar and flute (2004)
• Permanent Midnight for piano (2003)
• Green Sound for solo guitar (2001)
Selected Performances
• Première of “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” and “Fables of Faubus” by Charlie Mingus (arrangements for solo electric guitar) at the Portland Guitar Society (Portland, Oregon 2016)
• Première of “Pur ti miro” from L’incoronazione di Poppea by Claudio Monteverdi (arrangement for high & low voice with an original guitar continuo) Northwest Art Song Inaugural Series (Portland, Oregon November 2015)
• Première of Ice Muffins, 7 original prog-rock pieces for guitar, bass, and drums. Hosted by Creative Music Guild at NO FEST. (Portland, Oregon September 2015)
• Première of Echoland by Dan Cosley at the Portland Classical Guitar Series 10th Anniversary Gala Concert (Portland, Oregon 2014)
• Première of Duke Ellington’s Satin Doll and In A Sentimental Mood with the Marylhurst University Guitar Ensemble (arrangements) (Portland, Oregon 2014)
• Trio in C Major Op. 87 by Ludwig van Beethoven with the Marylhurst University Guitar Ensemble (arrangement for 3 guitars) (Portland, Oregon 2013)
• Première of Ten Textures by Dan Cosley at the Portland Guitar Society (Portland, Oregon 2011)
• Collaborative performances with Samm Bennett, Elliot Hasiuk, and Ryan Mizuno. This and That Cafe 1&3, concert series, Super Deluxe (Tokyo, Japan 2010, 2011)
• Super Deluxe Global Session, concert series, Super Deluxe (Tokyo, Japan 2011)
• Première of Waltz Triptych by Dan Cosley with Ensemble Oz (Tokyo, Japan 2010)
• Première of Atanas Ourkouzounov’s The Red Elf’s Tale with Tokyo M Group and the composer as conductor (Yamagata, Japan 2010)
• Première of Roland Dyens’ Soleils Levants with Ensemble OZ and the composer as conductor (Tokyo, 2008)
• Performances with Norihiko Hibino and The Outer Rim (Tokyo, 2008)
• Japan Guitar Ensemble Association Gala Concert (Concertmaster for Tokyo Guitar Ensemble, 2008)
• Solo Concerts (Fukuoka, Japan, 2007)
• Up Close Avant (Concert series organized by Creative Music Works, Denver, 2006)
• En Mis Palabras, an opera by Roger Ames, with the Central City Opera (Toured 2005-2006 season)
• Première of Concerto for Guitar by Dan Cosley (Denver, 2005)
• Graduate Recital of Distinction (Lamont School of Music, Denver, 2005)
• Première of Gilbert Biberian’s Rose Garden (Denver, 2005)
• Première of Jessica Mays’ Suite for Guitar (Denver, 2005)
• Heitor Villa-Lobos’ Concerto for Guitar and Small Orchestra with the Lamont Symphony (Denver, 2004)
• Première of Stephen Goss’s Lachrymae (Denver, 2003)
• Solo concerts by invitation of the Rome Festival (Rome, Italy, 2002)
Teaching
• Professor of Music, Marylhurst University. Courses: Classical Guitar, Jazz Guitar, Electric Bass, Orchestration 1-3, Guitar Skills for Music Therapists 1-2, Guitar Ensemble, Music Notation: Theory and Practice, Composition Seminar, and Performance Seminar (2012-2015)
• Instructor of classical and jazz guitar, conductor of the PCC Chamber Ensemble, Portland Community College (2011-Present)
• Clinical Guitar Techniques, seminar for the American Music Therapy Association, Oregon State Mental Hospital, Salem (2015)
• Instructor, private guitar studio (1999-present)
• Music theory instructor, And Vision Music School, Tokyo, Japan (2009-2010)
• Public high-school English teacher in Fukuoka, Japan. Hired via the Japanese government program JET (2006-2007)
• Graduate teaching assistant to Ricardo Iznaola, University of Denver (2002-2005)
• Graduate teaching assistantships in music history, jazz, and classical guitar, University of Denver (2002-2005)
• Masterclasses in guitar performance, Clarke University (2003)
• AmeriCorps program coordinator (2002)
• Music theory teaching assistant, Clarke University (2001)
Education
• Dual Master’s degree in classical guitar performance and composition, Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver. Studied guitar primarily with Ricardo Iznaola and Jonathan Leathwood, and also with Masakazu Ito. Studied composition with William Hill, Ricardo Iznaola, and Samuel Adler (2005)
• Composition & performance studies with Samuel Adler (2005)
• Private studies with Giuliano Balestra (Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia) Rome, Italy (2001)
• Bachelor’s degree in Music, Clarke University. Studied guitar with Jaime Guiscafré and composition with Amy Dunker (2002)
• Master classes with many artists including composer Samuel Adler and cellist Alban Gerhardt (1999-2005)
Awards
• Ricardo Iznaola Scholarship (2005)
• Graduate Recital of Distinction, Lamont School of Music (2005)
• Awarded lifetime membership to Pi Kappa Lambda (2005)
• Lamont Conservatory Concerto Competition, First Prize Winner (2003-2004)
• Walter & Kathryn Dunham Fine Arts Award, Clarke University (2002)
• Virginia Gaume Music Award for Excellence in Performance (2002)
• Eliza Kelly Music Award for Academic Excellence (2002)
• Won international audition and scholarship for participation in Rome Festival (2001)
Curation, Organization & Promotion
• Classical Revolution PDX Board of Directors (2016)
• Marc Ribot Residency at Marylhurst University. Solo Concert, Group Free-Improvisation Workshop, Workshop Orchestra Concert (2015)
• North American Director for the Guitar Ensemble Association of Japan (Current)
• First non-Japanese elected to the board of directors for the Guitar Ensemble Association of Japan (2009)
Miscellaneous
• Commercial music composition/recording. Clients include Disney, Comcast, Legacy Health, Room&Board, etc.
• In-house music engraver for Oregon Catholic Press. Numerous publication credits including Journey Songs 3 (2011-2012)
• Finale, Sibelius, and Logic software “power-user”
• Marketing Assistant for the Colorado Symphony (2005)
• Developmental Community Music Course, CMTE, American Music Therapy Association (2014)
• Adjudicator for various competitions as co-director of the Guitar Ensemble Association of Japan (2009-2011)
• Japanese language (JLPT level 2)
