William D. S. Daniel was born on March 17, 1903 in Urmi, Iran. He was the son of Hakim David S. Daniel, a prominent doctor and a patriotic Assyrian who was instrumental in saving the Assyrian villagers of Gogtapa from the Kurdish siege during the First World War, and went as far as giving his life to serve his fellow Assyrians who had become refugees and had fallen victim to sickness and disease.

William finished his primary education in missionary schools established for the Assyrians in Urmi where he studied the Assyrian language alongside regular courses. After the war William came to Hamadan and began studying music. Even though he was in his late teens, he excelled in playing violin under an Armenian master. Soon he was ready to move on, and went to Europe in early thirties to pursue his musical education. There he studied in the conservatory of music in Basil, Switzerland and became an accomplished classical violinist, playing in symphonic orchestras in France and Switzerland.

While in Europe, he continued to study the Assyrian language on his own and took to translating the French masterpiece "Cyrano De Bergerac" from French to Assyrian, translating French verses into Assyrian verses.

William returned to Iran in 1937, and after a few years settled in Hamadan and became the music instructor in Pahlavi High School. He held numerous concerts for the benefit of the school and the Assyrian community there. He later came to Tehran, where he turned his attention to composing original Assyrian music. In 1943, when the Assyrians in Tehran were allowed to have a weekly program on the national radio, William wrote songs that would be broadcast weekly on the radio. Moreover, William organized a choir, numerous plays and concerts, and taught classes in the Assyrian language and literature.

In Tehran he started work on his lifelong ambition, writing the Assyrian Epic of "Kateeny the Great" in verse. This vernacular tale of greatness, passed on from one generation to the other by the Assyrian mountaineers of Hakkiari, had been recounted to him earlier during his years in Urmi and later in Tehran. He completed the first volume of the epic and also wrote an Assyrian book of verse for children titled "Rameena the Naughty". Both of these books were published in 1961 by the Assyrian Youth and Cultural Society of Tehran. He also published his first book of songs called "The Rays of Light".

William moved to the United States in 1952 and settled in Chicago. There he continued to teach the Assyrian language, wrote music, organized plays and choirs, wrote articles for Assyrian magazines and gave lectures at various functions. He was the editor of the periodical "Mhadyana" in the 1960's.

1969 - "Assyrians of Today, Their Problems and a Solution".
A bilingual treatise titledwritten in both Assyrian and English. The Assyrian section was entirely handwritten by the author.

1970 - "Juvenile Suite"
A musical piece that won the Beblis award (Chicago).

1974 - "Kateeny the Great"
The second volume of the Assyrian Epic of entirely handwritten by the author (Chicago).

" 1978 - "William Daniel's Creations"
A comprehensive collection of his Assyrian songs. This book is all handwritten including the musical notations.

1988 - "Kismat"
A bilingual play in Assyrian and English depicting the widening generation gap between the Assyrian youth born in this country and their parents born in the Middle East (written in 1967, published in San Jose in 1988).

William came to San Jose in 1979 and lived there until his passing in 1988. During his years in San Jose, William served as the Editor of the Assyrian Star magazine, wrote numerous articles, poems, and musical pieces. In 1983, he published the third and last volume of the epic of "Kateeny the Great", immortalizing it in a compilation of over 7,000 verses, and narrated Volume I and II of the Epic on audio tape. He also taught Assyrian language and literature classes, organized a choir group, and was a regular guest speaker and dignitary at Assyrian functions.

In 1992, his students in San Jose honored him posthumously by collecting his previously unpublished poems in Assyrian and English in an illustrated, full color book titled "Tapestry", which was published by the Assyrian American Association of San Jose.

The Valley is also the eternal resting place of one of the most prominent Assyrian personalities of this era; Mr. William Daniel, who lived in San Jose from 1979 until his passing in 1988. Mr. Daniel is one of the greatest Assyrian musicians and poets of our time. A master violinist, trained in Symphony Orchestras in Switzerland, Mr. Daniel also wrote authentic Assyrian songs and music. His collection of songs, titled "William Daniel's Creations" has elevated Assyrian folk music to an unprecedented level of artistry and sophistication. He also taught Assyrian language and literature classes, organized a choir group, and was a regular guest speaker and dignitary at Assyrian functions.

1. His eternal masterpiece, the Assyrian epic of "Kateeny the Great", is one of the finest literary works of the modern Assyrian language. He immortalized this vernacular tale of greatness, passed on from one generation to the other by the Assyrian mountaineers of the Hakkiari region, in three volumes which comprise over 7,000 verses. The second volume was entirely handwritten by the author.

2. Two sets of five tapes in total, in which the author himself narrates Volume I and II of the Epic of "Kateeny the Great".

3. A bilingual treatise titled Assyrians of today, their problems and a solution written in both Assyrian and English. The Assyrian section was entirely handwritten by the author.

4. A book of children's adventures written in verse titled "Rameena the Naughty".

5. "Kismat", a bilingual play depicting the widening generation gap between the Assyrian youth born in this country and their parents born in the Middle East.

6. A book of songs titled "William Daniel's Creations", embellishing Assyrian folk music with unparalleled sophisticated beauty and artistry. which contains the songs he composed for the weekly Assyrian radio program in Tehran, Iran in 1943. This book is all handwritten including the musical notations.

7. "Tapestry", a collection of his previously unpublished poems in Assyrian and English. This book, produced in full color, was published posthumously by his students in San Jose.

8. Four records which contain nineteen of his songs, some of them performed by the artist himself playing the violin.

Mr. William S. Daniel was a talented musician even though he started studying music late in his teens, he went to Europe to pursue his musical education and became an accomplished classical violinist, playing in symphonic orchestras of France and Switzerland.

Updated July 21, 1997