Daniel Lentz (10/03/1942), an American composer, born in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, USA. He founded and directed the Daniel Lentz Group. The DLG has made many tours of the U.S., Eastern and Western Europe, and Asia. The ensemble has played a principle role in many commercial CD recordings and several TV features. Its instrumentation has varied over the16 years of its existence, from as few as 4 performers to as many as 18. The DLG was especially prominent in its revolutionary use of "live multi-track recording" in its performances in the 1980s and early 1990s.
In 1972 Lentz won the First Prize in the International Composers Competition (Stichting Gaudeamus) in Holland, the second American to do so in the then 37-year history of that event. In 1979 Lentz received a D.A.A.D. residency grant to live and work in West Berlin. He has been the recipient of numerous other awards, grants, and commissions.
Lentz's music from his years in Los Angeles is generally fast-paced and upbeat -- like L.A. itself (as heard in Talk Radio, Wild Turkeys, the crack in the bell, et al). Since moving from Los Angeles to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona Lentz's music has undergone a major metamorphosis. Recent works, such as the Temple of Lament, Apologetica, A Tiger In The Garden, and The Insect & The Woman, reflect these changes. These works evoke the desert and inspire the listener in their sometimes mournful, musical intensity.