Marc Danel grew up in Lille, France, where both he and his sister learned violin with Jezdimir Vujicic. He continued his studies with Prof Igor Ozim in Cologne graduating with high hours in 1992.

In 1991, he founded the Danel Quartet, studying extensively with the Amadeus and Borodin Quartets, as well as with Pierre Penassou, Hugh Maguire, Walter Levin and Fiodor Druzhinin.

As leader of the quartet, he was major prizewinner of all the six competitions they entered between 1991 to 1995, including Evian, London and St Petersburg.

Since 1991, Marc Danel has performed 2500 concerts with the quartet including 25 performances of the complete cycle of Shostakovitch quartets and numerous performances of the Beethoven, Weinberg and Bartok cycles in the major halls in Europe, USA, Russia, China, Japan, Taiwan, South America and Central Asia. The quartet have recorded more than 20 CDs, garnering numerous awards in Europe and the US.

The quartet have championed the great but neglected soviet composer Mechtislav Weinberg, playing his quartets extensively since the ‘90s and recording the all of his 17 string quartets, (2009). For Weinberg’s centenary this year, the quartet will give 7 performances of the complete cycle of quartets, some of which the quartet have premiered.

The quartet residence at Manchester University.

Marc Danel is artistic leader of the Dutch National String Quartet Academy (NSKA), many students of which have won major competitions. A highly sought-after teacher, he teaches at CNSDM Lyon and IMEP Namur, and at Manchester University where the quartet are artists in residence. He has also given Masterclasses in Europe, USA, Japan, Taiwan, Bielorussia and has a regular collaboration with the National Youth Orchestra of Chile.