Danial performs on Show 450.

Danial Hendi (piano), 16, lives in Princeton, New Jersey. He started his musical journey under the guidance of Dr. Ying Zhang, and over the years, he has studied with various mentors including Dr. Robert Roux, former Chair of Keyboard at Rice University, and his current teacher, concert pianist Susan Starr. As a soloist, he has been featured in numerous venues across the country, including three concerts in Carnegie Hall, and performances at Rice University, Princeton University, and the University of Houston.

In 2022, Danial won the first prize at the Clear Lake Symphony Concerto Competition. He has also secured first-place finishes at the TMTA Performance Solo and TMTA Concerto Competition, as well as the Steinway Junior Piano Competition and the Grand Prize Virtuoso International Competition in Vienna.

In 2021, during the height of the pandemic, Danial joined forces with renowned music pedagogues and professors to found the Spotlight Arts and Culture Foundation. In his role as Special Program Director and a board member of the organization, he helped champion a program to provide high-quality music education to socioeconomically disadvantaged youth and currently helps organize fundraiser efforts and logistics for the 2024 Spotlight International Piano Competition.

In addition to his work with the piano, Danial is also an avid violinist, and after picking up the instrument six years ago, he enjoys collaborating with his musical peers in the Princeton High School Orchestra.

Beyond the realm of music, Danial loves to read, play chess, debate with friends, and research pressing economic problems.