Daniel McCarthy (b. 1955, Onekama, Michigan) is an American composer, author, and martial artist. He is Professor Emeritus of Composition at The University of Akron School of Music.  He formerly held the Theodore Dreiser Distinguished Creative/Research Award at The Indiana State University School of Music where he was Co-director of The ISU Contemporary Music Festival with The Louisville Orchestra. 

U.S.A. Today describes his music as "intriguing, inviting, shimmering..." while The Cleveland Plain Dealer has written that his music is "Colorful, infectious and touching--."  His music has been described as "Contemporary in the best sense of the word" by The Music Connoisseur magazine, and 21st Century Music Magazine proclaims his music to be "Sassy, foreboding, refreshing and kicky--it's called style."

His music is recorded on Albany, Centaur, d'Note Classics, Gasparo, and Klavier Records (among others) and over 100 of his titles are published with C. Alan Publications.  His repertoire is performed and recorded by The Harrington String Quartet, The Avalon String Quartet, and Arianna String Quartet, Eugene Corporon and The North Texas Wind Symphony, The Brevard Festival Orchestra, The Taiwan National Symphony Orchestra, The World Youth Symphony Orchestra (Interlochen), The Amarillo Symphony Orchestra, The Slovak National Symphony Orchestra, The Naples Symphony Orchestra, The Nashville Symphony Orchestra, The Akron Symphony Orchestra, Rhythm & Brass®, and The United States Marine Corps. Bands (DC) The U.S. Army Jazz Ambassadors, and more.
 

McCarthy's music has been awarded The American Prize for Orchestral and Chamber Music (Professional Division), The Harvey Phillips Excellence in Composition Award (Indiana University), The Sackler Award, The New Generations Orchestral Commission, International New Music Consortium Award (New York University), The Pianissimo Piano Composition Prize (Belgrade), OMEA Composer of the Year, The Connie Weldon Prize, a National Arts Endowment Grant, seven Artist Excellence Awards from The Ohio Arts Council, two Artist Excellence Awards from The Indiana Arts Commission, five awards from The Indiana State University Arts Endowment, two Faculty Research Grants from the University of Akron, and a Life Time Achievement Citation from The Michigan State Legislature.
 

In 2013, Daniel joined Ralph Turek in co-authorship of the comprehensive theory text, "THEORY FOR TODAY'S MUSICIAN,"  (Rutledge).  He continues to pursue his interest as a conductor, directing concerts of new music with The Akron New Music Ensemble and other groups.  He formerly was conductor of The Interlochen Festival Orchestra, The Cleveland Chamber Symphony (Young and Emerging Composer's Concerts), and The Terre Haute Symphony Youth Orchestra.  Beside a passion for music, Daniel's other life occupation is for Black-belt martial arts.  He is an advanced Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do and Asian Weapons, studying with GrandMaster Jeon Gyeong Ho in Fairlawn, Ohio.  Daniel also studies Kenpo and Chin Na with Sifu James Adkins at White Tiger Shaolin Temple Project in Traverse City, Michigan.
 

He is founder of the Midwest Composers' Forum in Indiana, The Interlochen Composer's Institute in Michigan, and served as President of the Cleveland Composers Guild.  Daniel has been Instructor of Composition at the Interlochen Arts Camp and has served as music Conductor of the Interlochen Festival Orchestra, The Cleveland Chamber Symphony, The Terre Haute Symphony Youth Orchestra, The University of Akron Symphony Orchestra, and The Akron New Music Ensemble.  McCarthy has held positions as Visiting Scholar Freie Universität Berlin, The University of Michigan, and The Ohio University School of Music.