Danny Knicely is a fourth generation Appalachian multi-instrumentalist from a Virginia family steeped in mountain music tradition. He has used his roots in old-time and bluegrass to explore many musical styles from Irish, jazz and Latin, to the various musical styles he encountered while performing and studying music in India, Nepal, Tibet, and China. He has co-conducted lectures on the similarities between Appalachian and Himalayan music at Columbia University, and The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and for Asia Network.
He has won many awards for both his mandolin and guitar expertise such as the first place in the mandolin contest of the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. He has years of experience as a professional musician performing in many bands of varying musical styles. He has recorded and toured nationally and internationally with many groups including the award winning Magraw Gap, David Via and Corn Tornado, James Leva and Purgatory Mountain , and is a musical director for the Mountain Music Project and Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble , featuring Mark Schatz and Eileen Carson.
Danny has also performed with Leftover Salmon, Keller Williams, Vassar Clements, Tony Rice, Mac Wisemen, Tim O’Brian, Michelle Shocked, Sam Bush, Col. Bruce Hampton, Larry Keel, Robin and Linda Williams, Daryl Anger, Jeff Coffin, and Adrian Bellew to name a few.
A few festivals where Danny has performed are Merlefest, the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Rockygrass, Grey Fox, Philadelphia Folk Festival, Wheatland Music Festival (Michigan), Smile Fest, and Floyd Fest. Some venues he has played are The Smithsonian, The Clarice Smith Center for the Performing Arts, The Strathmore, The Prism Coffeehouse (Charlottesville, VA), The Birchmere, The House of Blues (Los Angeles, CA), The Fillmore (San Francisco, CA).
