About

composer • conductor • educator • vocal baritone

About Me

FUN FACT: In September 2024, I had the pleasure to meet His Holiness, Pope Francis, at the Holy Trinity Mission in Baro, Papua New Guinea.

Personal Strengths
  1. I love to teach. Most especially, I love to work with communities that are often on the periphery.
  1. I strive to be a life-long learner, and I have loved all my educational pursuits.
  1. Since becoming Catholic, I have loved seeing all the expressions of the Church!
  1. My YouTube channel is where I explore music in depth. Topics I explore include: sacred music, music theory, music history, and best of all: Alta California Mission Music. I also dabble in some other content as well.
  1. I write a newsletter where I give some general updates to what I am up to lately.
  1. On this website, I condense all of the information I collect or produce for the benefit of others, and just for fun.
Some Fun Facts
  1. I am a huge fan of linguistics! I grew up speaking English while also learning Spanish and Catalan from my family [though not all that fluent today]. As a part of my musical studies, I supplementally study Italian, French, and German. I am secretly quasi fluent in Tok Pisin, and I like to think I can get around in Finnish and some other miscellaneous tongues. In the future I hope to study Irish, Welsh, and Old Prussian!
  1. Technology has always been a big part of my life, originally manifesting in my love for video games, such as Sid Meir’s Civilization. I continue to up my productivity game with new apps and technological developments whenever they become available. Recently though, I have been exploring analogue technologies, and seeing how fun they are!
  1. I like to think that I am a financially savvy person, I consistently try to help others in their personal financial journeys when possible.
CV’s and other documents
Full CVDownload
Full Biography

DANE MADRIGAL is an active composer and  performer, former Director of Sacred Music for the Diocese of Austin, and founder of Ars Musica Sacra. He has been blessed to perform and compose music for Pope Francis during the Holy Father’s apostolic visit to Oceania, most specifically: Vanimo, Papua New Guinea; where Dane enjoys a warm relationship with the Queen of Paradise Program and the religious of the Institute of the Incarnate Word. Dane has also been featured across Asia and Europe as a promising young conductor in the symphonic world. An active composer, Dane spends a great deal of time creating works that are aimed at developing new musicianship skills while fostering increased spirituality. Primarily, his compositions are instrumented for choirs, chamber instrumental groups, and solo voice. Dane has had the privilege to study with individuals such as: Daniel Wachs, Dr. Stephen Coker, Dr. Vera Ivanova, and Dr. Sarah Reid at Chapman University, as well as: Lynn Plowmann, Owen Lloyd, and Andrea Brown at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, in both areas of composition and conducting.

Sacred music and the liturgy have become mainstays of professional life for Dane. Originally, Dane worked at St. John’s Lutheran Church of Orange in their Jubilate Choir and Cathedral Singers as a section leader. Dane returns to St. John’s when he is able. He then moved on to work at St. Paul’s Catholic Church of Princeton where he was engaged as the institution’s cantor, bell choir member, and substitute organist. After returning to Southern California, he took two positions at St. George Episcopal Church of Laguna Hills and St. John the Baptist Church of Costa Mesa. Upon arrival in the United Kingdom for graduate studies, Dane secured a post at the Cardiff Oratory of St. Philip Neri where he worked as the oratory’s bass choral scholar and interim music director. While serving as a theology teacher and student in San Diego, Dane held a position as accompanist and cantor of St. Joseph Cathedral, where he led Sunday evening worship. While the Director of Sacred Music in Austin, Dane found himself in the quiet Hill Country town of Wimberley, Texas as music director of St. Mary of Guadalupe. Dane synthesizes and distills these ecumenical liturgical experiences in sacred music via Ars Musica Sacra, making sacred music accessible to everyone.