Dan McCarthy's playing has been described as “virtuosic” by Seen and Heard International. He was a part of the first class of baroque violists ever to be accepted into the historical performance program at The Juilliard School, where he was often featured in performances playing violin, viola d'amore, and viola da gamba.
Dan employs the ‘Equal Feel’ approach to stringing his instruments as defined by Mimmo Peruffo, and used by the Aquila and Cordedrago brands of gut strings. He is the North American distributor for Cordedrago strings, based in Bologna. With his approach to stringing, Dan is able to play on more historically accurate setups using only plain gut strings with no metal winding.
Dan has served as section violist with the Trinity Wall Street Baroque Orchestra, concertmaster of the Austin Baroque Orchestra, and tenor gambist with Parthenia. He has also toured extensively throughout North America, East Asia, and Europe with artists and groups such as Jordi Savall, Masaaki Suzuki, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, and American Bach Soloists. Here on the east coast he plays with Bach Vespers at Holy Trinity, Washington Bach Consort, New York State Baroque, Artek, REBEL, Clarion Music Society, Early Music New York, Teatro Nuovo, Queens Consort, Academy of Sacred Drama, Brandywine Baroque, and Tempesta Di Mare.