Daniel Espen began studying piano with M° Riccardo Bettini in “Luca Marenzio” conservatoire in Brescia Italy, obtaining bachelor degree with the highest votes “cum laude” in 2006. He continued his studies in piano with M° Gerardo Chimini at the same conservatoire where he completed the Master degree with the highest vote “cum laude”. Espen started to study composition under the guidance of M° Giancarlo Facchinetti and he obtained the bachelor degree from Parma's conservatoire “Arrigo Boito” with M° Luca Tessadrelli with top of his class. He studied violin and drawing/painting with M° Elena Allegretti Camerini. In 2007, as one of the best students of “Libera Accademia di Belle Arti” in Brescia, he obtained Erasmus scholarship for “Theatre Design” at “University of Art and Design” (UCE) in Birmingham, U.K. He completed his Master degree in Set Design and Theatre Direction with top of his class. During the years 2013 and 2014 Espen won several international composers competitions: First Prize award at the second edition of the “David Maria Turoldo” in Rovato (Brescia); His quartet “Danza Visionaria” was selected among the top ten quartets at the “Seattle composer Alliance First International Competition” in the United States of America; Third prize at International Composer Competition “Ilaria Rambaldi” in Chieti, Italy; Second Prize at the international competition “Busan Maru International Music Festival” in South Korea with the score “Stabat Mater” for mix choir and orchestra. Since 2006 Espen has been very active as concert pianist in Italy and abroad for several musical associations. In 2015 Daniel Espen released his first Cd “Archetipi” (Archetype) where he performs the contemporary piano music composed by Luca Tessadrelli and himself. In 2017 his Symphonic Sketch “Dance on the spring of life” won the First prize in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Arturo Toscanini and it was performed in Modena “Teatro Luciano Pavarotti” and Sala “Giuseppe Verdi” in Parma's Conservatoire. From August 2018 he started a new work experience as a music professor in China (Guangdong province). His painting “Spirit and Metter – Portrait of Luca Tessadrelli” was selected in the second round of the “British Portrait Award Competition” (BP) the most prestigious art competition in the world. In July 2020 he won the ICCCJ (International Choral Competition Composition of Japan) and his composition “The Chant of the Witches” for mixed choir was recorded by the “Metropolitan Choir of Tokyo” conducted by Ko Matsushita. From September 2020 he is performing piano recitals in several Chinese cities as Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Dalian etc. From October 2021 Espen is piano professor in the “Royal college of Music” of London (Shanghai section: Kingdom Music education group). In 2022 Espen has exhibited his paintings in two important events: -EspenxOkaharaXFeat- exhibition of paintings and graphics in "db Art space&incubator" from 8th September to 8th of October and -Portraits Art- exhibition of paintings and graphics in “The Belgian House” from 24th November to 24th of December in Shanghai, China. In December 2022 Espen has won the “Audience prize” in the international composer competition “Costruttori di armonie” organized by the association ”Serate musicali” in Milan (Italy) with the composition for Cello and Piano “Evocazione”.