Assistant Concertmaster Daniel Persitz never really had a chance to avoid music. Born into a family of professional musicians, he was handed a violin at age 5 and has been playing ever since. Growing up in Minneapolis, he won several solo competitions before heading to Yale University, where he earned a degree in music.
Daniel joined the Santa Monica Symphony in 2013 and has since performed with numerous Southern California ensembles including the Westside Chamber Orchestra, San Bernardino Symphony and Burbank Philharmonic. When he’s not on stage, he lives a double life as a screenwriter, producer and director. Most recently, he directed Key of Genius, an award-winning short film about the extraordinary true story of blind, autistic piano savant Derek Paravicini.
Outside of music and filmmaking, Daniel spends his time chasing after his son Max, trying to earn smiles from his daughter Zoe, teaching new tricks to his rescue dog Allegro, and convincing himself that this will finally be the year for the Minnesota Vikings.
