Daniel Kurfirst is an NYC based percussionist, composer and improviser who has performed extensively in the New York City jazz, creative and world music scenes for over 25 years. He also has performed with various groups throughout Europe, India and the Middle East. Venues performed at include The John F Kennedy Center, The Stone, OkeeChobee Festival, Roulette, Nublu, Rabindra Sadan Cultural Center of Kolkata, Barbes and The Vision Festival.

He has lectured at Columbia University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Rabindra Sadan Nandan Campus(India) and the New York City Public School System.

As he a sideman, he regularly works with a who’s who of NYC’s most creative musicians, including Matt Darriau, Sonnelius Smith, Cheikh Hamala Diabate, Arun Ramamurthy, Trina Basu, Adam Rudolph, Hamid Drake, Rodney Chapman and Matt Lavelle, to name just a few.

In 2022, he released his debut as a leader, Arkinetics, a suite of rhythmic mantras performed within the free jazz tradition which Relix magazine hailed as “Luminescent….a low key gem of jazz album”. The album features Daniel Carter(reeds/trumpet), Alexis Marcelo(keys), Damon Banks(bass) and Roshni Samlal(tabla). 

He continues to compose and practice drumset and tabla while living with his wife and children in Brooklyn, NY.