composer, performer, and educator. His guitar and lute performances have earned international acclaim. A native of Haifa, whose family has lived in Israel for over five hundred years, he was steeped in the Sephardi tradition from youth. Many of his compositions have evolved from the music of Sephardi Jews. Daniel has performed in concerts as a guitarist and lutenist in Israel, the U.S.A, Russia, Spain, France, Switzerland, Germany, Portugal, Mexico and most of the countries in Central and South America. Daniel Akiva's compositions include pieces for solo instruments—guitar, piano, mandolin, cello, violin, flute, oboe, clarinet, viola de gamba, recorder—as well as voice, chamber ensembles, choir, voice and guitar, voice and piano, a choir and orchestra concerto for guitar and orchestra, music for three guitars and orchestra. In 1984 he accompanied soprano Victoria de los Ángeles in a series of concerts held at the prestigious Israel Festival. In 1990, his work "Psalms" for guitar solo was awarded the ACUM prize for composition. His string quartet "Ciclos" was awarded the ACUM prize for composition in 2002. In 2006 he received the Amazon prize for his CD Hope, with Laurel Zucker (flute) and Ronit Widmann-Levy (soprano). In 2017 he was awarded the Prime Minister prize for composers in Israel. Served as the Artistic Director of the Guitar Gems Festival& competition from 2006 – 2018, held in Netanya, Israel.