Meet our Creative Team!
Daniel Kim
Musical Director
Daniel is a Naarm/Melbourne-based performer, director, and award-winning vocal arranger whose eclectic training and decade of vocal harmony expertise has seen him serve the wider a cappella and musical theatre communities in a myriad of roles.
Daniel initially joined Harambee A Cappella as the Assistant Musical Director in 2019, before helming the group as the MD in 2021. In his time with the group, Daniel’s leadership and creative vision has seen him: curate numerous conceptual concerts; establish the group’s presence at the Festival of Voices in Hobart, Tasmania; and lead the vocal ensemble to victory at local eisteddfods and, recently, internationally at the 2024 World Choir Games in New Zealand, earning the title of the overall Category Winner of the Open Pop Ensembles.
Aside from Harambee A Cappella, Daniel has been involved with several vocal groups, including Monash A Cappella Choir (MACHO), and nationally-acclaimed vocal band Vocally Owned, as a director, arranger, and performer.
Outside of a cappella, recent theatrical directing credits including: co-director of the 24-hour musical High School Musical on Stage! (Lightbox Productions); co-director and MD of Carrie: The Musical (Out of the Wings); vocal director of the Australian premiere of Eurobeat: Moldova (PEP Productions); and co-director and MD of the new Australian musical Blue to the Horizon (Sevenfold Theatre), which was nominated by the Green Room Awards for Best Direction in Independent/Fringe Musical Theatre.
Recent performing credits include: Therapist/Clarinettist in the surrealist Australian Gothic play The Roof is Caving In (Frenzy Theatre Co); a cast member of Impromptunes, Australia’s leading improvised musical comedy troupe; and Steven in the Australian premiere of Broadway’s first fully a cappella musical, In Transit (Lightbox Productions).
Daniel has also led the clarinet section in multiple orchestras and directed several chamber ensembles. Aside from performing, Daniel also teaches mathematics, and loves playing board games with friends.
Ricardo Mariano
Assistant Musical Director
Harambee member since 2018, Ric has previously directed Himig Sandiwa (NSW), a Filipino choir, and has sung for Soulfood (NSW), and the University of the Philippines Engineering Choir (Diliman, PH). He also has played drums and guitar at various events (but not at the same time!). Ric is a software engineer by trade, and has too many Lego sets.
Steph Bumpstead
Assistant Musical Director
Since discovering the Warblers on Glee, Steph has made it her mission to dive in and explore the wide world of a cappella. She has been involved in several different groups and has competed with Acapollo, The Mockingbards and Harambee, picking up awards such as Best Comedy Song. She has previously been a president and arranger for former groups, and is looking forward to new challenges as assistant musical director of Harambee this year.