Daniel (Dan) Magoun
1954-06-09 2020-10-06
This obituary celebrates the life of one of the finest piano players the world has seen. The beloved father of five children who share many of his talents. As an accompanist, Daniel was considered by many prominent people in Dance to be one of the foremost dance music experts in the country.
Daniel R. Magoun of Denver, Colorado passed away on Tuesday, October 6th after reaching the age of 66 years old. After months of failing health due to a chronic lung condition, Daniel passed away suddenly in the home of his brother David, who he was living with.
Daniel received his musical training from the internationally known conductor, Dr. Antonia Brico, who knew many of the greatest musicians of the 20th Century – including being personal friends with Finnish composer, Jean Sibelius and the legendary Dr. Albert Shweitzer (who was an exceptional organist and acknowledged authority on the music of Bach). Dr. Brico’s most famous student was folk singer Judy Collins, but Daniel and several other of Dr. Brico’s students had achieved national or international prominence as well.
Daniel and his brother David have had several other original bands that enjoyed some degree of success. In the 70’s, their band, Tropos, was the first band to reopen the Glen Miller Ballroom at the Univ. of Colorado as a live concert venue after years of disuse. Their bands, Tropos, Pictures, and Tyman Space all played at national concert venues such as Barry Fey’s Rainbow Music Hall, and Tyman Space was even listed in the “Top Boxoffice” section of Billboard Magazine.
As a soloist, Daniel also performed at national venues such as Tulagi’s on the Hill in Boulder and the Los Angeles Theater Center. He had also done music at both the Hollywood Bowl and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles.
As a composer and recording artist, he had written over 3,000 songs in numerous different styles, and recorded over 160 albums – many of which sold internationally through Daniel’s own record company. Daniel also invented a system of cassettes for ballet classes, using 25 different cassettes and 200 classical and original songs, that was the closest thing to random access of CD’s that cassettes could attain (he actually did 2 volumes, so 50 cassettes and 400 songs). Daniel was the only one in the world to ever accomplish this major production and engineering feat, and since cassettes are now passe, it is unlikely that anyone will ever duplicate this effort.
Daniel had also been involved with dance for decades as an accompanist, composer, conductor, dancer, and dance teacher, and even performed dance roles with companies such as Anaheim Ballet. He worked with Maxine Williamson, Cleo Parker Robinson and Larry Boyette, all masterful teachers, influencing and known by the entire Dance community of Denver. He also worked with some of the most famous dancers in the world, such as Gelsey Kirkland, Patrick Bissell, Ethan Stiefel, Amanda McKerrow, John Gardner, Susan Jaffe, Judith Jamison, Patricia Neary, and Gregory Hines, a well as legendary dance teachers such as Stanley Holden, Alonzo King, James Truitt, and Meredith Bayliss. He also worked with some of the top dance companies in the world including Alvin Ailey, NYC Ballet, ABT, Paris Opera, Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Pacific Northwest, San Francisco, Ballet West, Bolshoi, Kirov, Mali Theater, and Matthew Bourne’s company “Adventures in Motion Pictures”.
Daniel is preceded in death by his father Dr. H. I. Magoun, Jr., his paternal grandparents Winifred and Fred Linsenmaier, paternal grandparents Dr. H. I. Magoun Sr. and Dr. Helen C. Magoun, his brother Michael, and half sister Ann.
Daniel is survived by his mother Winifred M. Hartman, brothers David and Scotty, half brother Jon Caver, mother of his five children Mary Ann Magoun, daughter Heather, grandchildren Orion and Elara, sons Christ and Tim, and daughters Bonnie and Meghan Magoun.
Daniel R. Magoun of Denver, Colorado passed away on Tuesday, October 6th after reaching the age of 66 years old. After months of failing health due to a chronic lung condition, Daniel passed away suddenly in the home of his brother David, who he was living with.
Daniel received his musical training from the internationally known conductor, Dr. Antonia Brico, who knew many of the greatest musicians of the 20th Century – including being personal friends with Finnish composer, Jean Sibelius and the legendary Dr. Albert Shweitzer (who was an exceptional organist and acknowledged authority on the music of Bach). Dr. Brico’s most famous student was folk singer Judy Collins, but Daniel and several other of Dr. Brico’s students had achieved national or international prominence as well.
Daniel and his brother David have had several other original bands that enjoyed some degree of success. In the 70’s, their band, Tropos, was the first band to reopen the Glen Miller Ballroom at the Univ. of Colorado as a live concert venue after years of disuse. Their bands, Tropos, Pictures, and Tyman Space all played at national concert venues such as Barry Fey’s Rainbow Music Hall, and Tyman Space was even listed in the “Top Boxoffice” section of Billboard Magazine.
As a soloist, Daniel also performed at national venues such as Tulagi’s on the Hill in Boulder and the Los Angeles Theater Center. He had also done music at both the Hollywood Bowl and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles.
As a composer and recording artist, he had written over 3,000 songs in numerous different styles, and recorded over 160 albums – many of which sold internationally through Daniel’s own record company. Daniel also invented a system of cassettes for ballet classes, using 25 different cassettes and 200 classical and original songs, that was the closest thing to random access of CD’s that cassettes could attain (he actually did 2 volumes, so 50 cassettes and 400 songs). Daniel was the only one in the world to ever accomplish this major production and engineering feat, and since cassettes are now passe, it is unlikely that anyone will ever duplicate this effort.
Daniel had also been involved with dance for decades as an accompanist, composer, conductor, dancer, and dance teacher, and even performed dance roles with companies such as Anaheim Ballet. He worked with Maxine Williamson, Cleo Parker Robinson and Larry Boyette, all masterful teachers, influencing and known by the entire Dance community of Denver. He also worked with some of the most famous dancers in the world, such as Gelsey Kirkland, Patrick Bissell, Ethan Stiefel, Amanda McKerrow, John Gardner, Susan Jaffe, Judith Jamison, Patricia Neary, and Gregory Hines, a well as legendary dance teachers such as Stanley Holden, Alonzo King, James Truitt, and Meredith Bayliss. He also worked with some of the top dance companies in the world including Alvin Ailey, NYC Ballet, ABT, Paris Opera, Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Pacific Northwest, San Francisco, Ballet West, Bolshoi, Kirov, Mali Theater, and Matthew Bourne’s company “Adventures in Motion Pictures”.
Daniel is preceded in death by his father Dr. H. I. Magoun, Jr., his paternal grandparents Winifred and Fred Linsenmaier, paternal grandparents Dr. H. I. Magoun Sr. and Dr. Helen C. Magoun, his brother Michael, and half sister Ann.
Daniel is survived by his mother Winifred M. Hartman, brothers David and Scotty, half brother Jon Caver, mother of his five children Mary Ann Magoun, daughter Heather, grandchildren Orion and Elara, sons Christ and Tim, and daughters Bonnie and Meghan Magoun.
I took piano lessons for several years and thought maybe I was pretty good. Then one day at school I just happened to hear Dan sit down to a piano and start playing, and that cured any false notions I had of my talent. What an incredibly gifted musician he was, and a nice guy. RIP, Dan
tribute by George DalrympleDan was such a dear. So talented and good natured, an authentic human! He was always kind. I admired greatly his mastery of the piano and his creative pursuits. His passing must surely leave a hole in the hearts of those who knew and loved him. My heart aches for their loss.
tribute by Nancy