BIOGRAPHY
Daniel Chávez is a Mexican-American saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, and music director based in Chicago. His work spans jazz, salsa, Latin jazz, regional Mexican music, pop, and contemporary genres, drawing on a lifetime of musical experiences rooted in both the jazz tradition and Latin American cultural heritage.Daniel has performed alongside internationally recognized artists including Amanda Miguel, Deborah Cox, Morgan James, Herman Olivera, Katie Kadan, and Marca MP. He has also appeared with the Britt Festival Orchestra, Rogue Valley Symphony, Banda Estrategia, and the GFC International Big Band, performing alongside artists such as Willy García.A graduate of the Oregon Center for the Arts at Southern Oregon University, Daniel performed in the PBS-broadcast world premiere of Natural History: Symphony for Nature with the Rogue Valley Symphony and Britt Festival Orchestra before embarking on an international performance career. He later spent three years performing aboard Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises, appearing in more than 30 countries across six continents.
Today, Daniel tours as a bandleader and as a member of the Trabuco Salsa Band. He is a frequent collaborator with Rosalba Valdez and the Alan Gresik Swing Orchestra and remains active across Chicago's diverse musical landscape. Daniel also performs as a saxophonist and serves as Music Director and arranger for the orchestra of Luis Alfredo Correa, helping shape the ensemble's repertoire, performances, and artistic direction.
He currently serves as the Emerging Music Director for the Chicago International Salsa Congress, helping shape the musical programming of one of the nation's leading Latin music and dance festivals.
In addition to his performance career, Daniel is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of People's Center for Cultural & Contemporary Arts (PCCCArts), where he works to expand access to arts education and cultural opportunities for young people and communities throughout Chicago.