Bel Canto Duo
Bel Canto Duo is the internationally recognized collaboration of oboist, English hornist, and composer Darci Gamerl and cellist, looping artist, and composer David Downing. Based in Omaha, the duo creates immersive musical experiences that blend original music, storytelling, and a deep commitment to community engagement.
Known for commissioning and creating new work, Bel Canto Duo partners with museums, arts organizations, scientists, educators, and conservation groups to tell stories rooted in place and inspired by the people, history, and landscapes of Nebraska. Recent commissions and collaborations include the National Willa Cather Center, Joslyn Art Museum, Cathedral Arts Project, and Crane Trust. Their award-winning documentary, Taking Flight: The 8th Wonder of the World, featuring an original score by the duo, has earned international acclaim, receiving Best Score for a Documentary at the International Sound & Film Music Festival in Croatia. Their innovative artistic practice was further recognized with Chamber Music America’s 2026 Interdisciplinary Collaboration of the Year Award, honoring excellence in collaborative performance and creative partnership.
A hallmark of Bel Canto Duo’s work is its application of the emerging field of NeuroArts. Drawing on evidence-based principles of entrainment, their original compositions are designed to help lower brainwave activity, reduce stress, and support improved physical and mental health outcomes. These ideas are woven naturally into performances that are engaging, restorative, and accessible to audiences of all ages.
Bel Canto Duo has been featured by Nebraska Public Media, the Nebraska Arts Council State Arts Awards, KANEKO, Luminarium, the Lincoln Mayor’s Arts Awards, and numerous universities, festivals, and cultural organizations throughout Nebraska and beyond. Equally at home in concert halls, museums, libraries, healthcare settings, corporate events, and community venues, the duo is known for creating memorable experiences that connect with audiences wherever they perform.
Whether presenting an intimate concert, a multimedia performance, an educational residency, or a community engagement program, Bel Canto Duo combines artistic excellence with authentic connection. Every program is thoughtfully tailored to its audience, leaving communities inspired while demonstrating music’s ability to build connection, spark curiosity, reduce stress, support improved physical and mental health outcomes, and bring people together.
Technical Requirements:
We require electricity, and a minimum of 66 degrees to perform indoors or outdoors. During outdoor summer conditions need to be under 95 degrees and not in direct sun.
Maximum Negotiable Fee: $6,000
Availability: We are flexible regarding booking of days, and the distance traveled given enough advance notice.
Virtual Option: Bel Canto Duo offers engaging virtual programs for libraries, schools, arts organizations, healthcare partners, and community groups. Programs include screenings of our award-winning documentary, Taking Flight: The 8th Wonder of the World, followed by live Q&A sessions exploring the film, environmental storytelling, music composition, film design, and the creative process. We also present on the emerging field of NeuroArts, demonstrating how evidence-based principles of entrainment inform our artistic work to reduce stress and support improved physical and mental health outcomes. Additional topics include commissioning new work, interdisciplinary collaboration, music entrepreneurship, and building a sustainable artistic practice. Each presentation is tailored to the goals and interests of the presenting organization.
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