Daniel Besthorn is a drummer, composer, and educator born in Germany and currently residing in Rome, whose work combines an active international performing career with a solid teaching practice at the conservatory level. A graduate of Saint Louis College of Music, Besthorn earned his Master’s degree in Jazz Drums and Percussion with the highest honors (110 cum laude).

His artistic style was shaped by working alongside some of the most influential drummers on the contemporary scene: he studied with Jeff Ballard, Joey Baron, Gregory Hutchinson, and Julio Barreto at the Jazzcampus in Basel, Switzerland, and with Fabrizio Sferra and Claudio Mastracci in Rome. In addition to his instrumental training, he also holds a Master of Arts in Music Education—a formal educational background that few active drummers possess.

An award-winning artist, Besthorn took first place at the B-Jazz International Contest in Ghent (Belgium) and was awarded the Jazz Award at the Schweriner Jazznacht (Germany), in addition to numerous other national and international accolades.

He has performed in twelve countries across Europe, Asia, and South America, at festivals such as Umbria Jazz (Italy), the Getxo Jazz Festival (Spain), and the Brașov Jazz & Blues Festival (Romania), collaborating with Rosario Giuliani, Alessandro Gwis, and Luca Bulgarelli, among others.
In addition to his international work, Besthorn is an active presence on the Roman jazz scene, performing regularly at the city’s leading clubs, including Casa del Jazz, Gregory’s Jazz Club, and Alexanderplatz Jazz Club.

His debut album as a bandleader, *Emotions* (Alfa Music), featuring his own original compositions, has received international acclaim: JazzWise Magazine (London) called it“impressive large ensemble jazz,” drummer Jorge Rossy described it as music in which“every note is sincere and full of joy,” while Jeff Ballard called it “a heartfelt musical trip.”
Besthorn also appears as a drummer on a recent album by Italian jazz legend Enrico Intra.

Fluent in German, English, and Italian, Besthorn teaches jazz drums at Saint Louis in all three languages.