„I am an actor and a musician. Simultaneously, each in its own way, I am equally passionate about both.“
Why does someone, who has just had a dream career start in acting meet up to cry? The brighter and the darker sides of life have a close connection for Daniel Donskoy. The artist’s last 10 years have been shaped by inner conflict, nomadism, successes and defeats – both in his professional and his personal love life.
The musicality in London, Daniel‘s first residence since 2011, the numerous concerts, the pulsating, restless life in the city and its melancholy and ambiguity have predominantly influenced his character. The British Singers & Songwriters have proved truly inspirational. The influence of Blues, Indie and Brit Pop on his music is clearly recognisable.
After an intensive phase of commercial work in film & TV it became even more important to Daniel to retain complete freedom and self-determination in his music. He had found the right partner in the music producer Mic Schroeder, who had already produced albums and singles for Joris, Rea Garvey, Lotte, Silly, and many more in the eleventwentyStudios in Berlin and who – like Daniel – places a great deal of importance on analogue sound and real instruments. Following his single “Cry by the River”, Daniel is now working intensively on his debut album.
Born in Russia, grew up in Berlin and Tel Aviv, drama and music studies in London, his family scattered throughout the whole world – for Daniel Donskoy it is difficult to define the term home. He is a cosmopolitan, a global citizen, who is at home everywhere where he unpacks his suitcase.
In his early childhood his Russian grandmother taught him how to play the piano. However, the strict Russian discipline restricted Daniel too much. During adolescence he broke out of the rigidity of his parental home, partied the night away in Tel Aviv and began to write his own songs. His talent did not remain undiscovered, but he turned down a place at a music school in Israel, moved back to Berlin alone, applied to study classical singing at the UDK (University of Arts) Berlin – and was rejected. Daniel Donskoy finally received a scholarship to the Arts Education School of London.
After completing his degree in 2014, Daniel Donskoy went directly to the theatre, and then played several roles in British TV. In Germany he became famous overnight with his leading role in the series “Sankt Maik”, followed by roles in Tatort and a main part in Dror Zahavi’s motion picture “Crescendo”.
Photos Copyrights: © Ray Burmiston
