Daniel Sender is a violinist and scholar dedicated to preserving and sharing Hungarian musical heritage. A Professor of Violin at the University of Virginia, he serves as concertmaster of both the Charlottesville Symphony and Charlottesville Opera. His longstanding connection to Hungary includes two Fulbright appointments, during which he taught and performed at the Liszt Academy in Budapest and the University of Pécs.
As the recipient of the 2026 Tulipán Art & Culture Award, Daniel will create The Missing Voice: Recovering Róbert Berény's String Quartet, a project that brings new life to the music of Hungarian painter and composer Róbert Berény. Drawing on Berény's surviving archival manuscript, the project will create a new performing edition that celebrates the creative friendship and shared artistic vision of Berény, Béla Bartók, and Leó Weiner while restoring an overlooked chapter of Hungarian musical history.
The work will be presented through performances in spring 2027, introducing audiences to Berény's long-forgotten compositions through newly prepared scores and performance materials. By recovering and sharing this music, Daniel aims to deepen appreciation for Hungary's modernist legacy and strengthen cultural connections between Hungary and the United States.
