Daniel Keith Hambly, M.A., Ph.D candidate (Canadian History), b. 12 July 1976, in Alliston, Ontario, Canada, is the great-great-great grandson and official biographer of Canadian brewer and philanthropist, Eugene O'Keefe.

Daniel Hambly was born and raised in Baxter, Ontario, but now resides in Toronto, Ontario. After attending Banting Memorial High School in Alliston, Ontario he studied at the Opera Theater of Lucca, Italy, and later the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, in London, England. He earned a BA hons degree in History and an MA in History from the University of Western Ontario. He is a Ph.D candidate in History at York University, Toronto.

In addition to writing the official biography of his x3 Great Grandfather, Eugene O'Keefe, he has written the biographies of four Canadian engineers of the ninteenth century in the forthcoming edition of the Dictionary of Canadian Engineers: Charles Keefer, Thomas Keefer, Brian McConnell, and William McNab.

Hambly is a professor at Humber College, Toronto.

Musical Career

Hambly is first and foremost a classically trained opera singer. Declared as “one of Canada’s outstanding soloists”, Hambly is known for his rich bass-baritone sound, and has been heard in Canada and abroad, performing such operatic roles as Don Alfonso in Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutte, Leporello and Masetto in Don Giovanni, and Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro. He has also performed the role of Colline and Marcello in Puccini’s La Boheme, and Marco in Gianni Schicchi; as well as Don Magnifico in Rossini’s La Cenerentola, Bartolo in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, and King Balthassar in Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors, among others.
His principal concert-repertoire is extensive including Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Handel’s Messiah, Coronation Anthems, Chandos Anthems, and Johannes Passion, Rossini’s Stabat Mater, Verdi’s Requiem, Mozart’s Coronation Mass, Mass in C minor and Requiem, Durufle’s Requiem, Faure’s Requiem, Haydn’s The Creation, Mass in D Minor (Lord Nelson Mass), Dubois’ The Seven Last Words of Christ; Watson-Henderson’s From Darkness to Light, Bach’s B Minor Mass, Johannes Passion, Cantata 147, and Magnificat, Gounod’s St. Cecilia Mass; Mahler’s Songs of a Wayfarer, and many more.

Daniel also performs such recital repertoire as the works of Ralph Vaughan Williams and Schubert. He has most recently performed with Toronto Philharmonia, Symphony Nova Scotia, and Kingston Symphony, to name a few.

Daniel studied voice with Rudolf Piernay of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, England; Claudia Catania (Metropolitan Opera, New York; Boston University), and Lorenzo Malfatti (University of Cincinnati, College Conservatory of Music), at the Opera Theatre of Lucca, Italy; and Albert Greer of York University in Toronto, Canada. He has participated in master classes given by ‘The Great’ Luigi Alva (Teatro alla Scala), Claudia Catania, and the late Graziella Sciutti (“The Callas of the Piccola Scala”). He has performed in England, Italy, France, South Korea, the United States, and Canada. Daniel is a recipient of the “Career Development Award” from the Canada Council for the Arts.