Museum & cultural event DJ
Late nights, galas, member parties and exhibition openings. Daniela StarCat designs DJ sets around the story your institution is telling, as she did for the Mütter Museum in Philadelphia.
A set built like an exhibition
In 2025 the Mütter Museum commissioned Daniela StarCat to perform a four-hour immersive Halloween set inspired by the Dancing Plague of 1518. She designed the whole set around the four medieval humors and the four seasons, and gave creative input on lighting, décor, staging, the DJ booth and performance cues, performing as both DJ and performance artist in the museum’s historic ballroom.
She returns to the Mütter for Choreomania on October 30, 2026. A former professor, Daniela approaches every commission with a researcher’s curiosity: she reads the collection, finds the story and builds the music to tell it.
Where she fits in
Late Nights & Member Parties
After-hours programs that bring new audiences into the galleries and keep them dancing.
Galas & Benefits
One DJ to carry cocktails, dinner, the program and the dance floor, with clean breaks for every speech.
Exhibition Openings
Music drawn from the themes, era or geography of the show, at a volume that suits the galleries.
Themed & Site-Specific Performance
Commissioned sets, like the Mütter’s Dancing Plague, that work as performance art as well as a party.
Historic & Unusual Venues
Ballrooms, libraries, churches and planetariums, with staging that respects the space.
Universities & Cultural Festivals
Campus and festival programs. As a former professor, Daniela is at home in academic settings.
How a commission comes together
Your curatorial, events and production teams stay in the loop at every step, and the set arrives as a designed experience rather than a playlist.
- Listen — a conversation with your team about the collection, audience and goals
- Research — the history and themes behind the night become the musical structure
- Design — lighting, décor, booth and staging ideas, if you want them
- Perform — a set that works as both a dance floor and a piece of the program
Tell Daniela about your institution
Museum event FAQ
Can the DJ set be themed to our exhibition or collection?
Yes. That is the heart of what Daniela offers. For the Mütter Museum she built a four-hour set around the Dancing Plague of 1518, the four medieval humors and the four seasons.
Can she keep the volume right for galleries?
Yes. She shapes volume and energy to the space, from gallery-level ambience to a full ballroom dance floor.
Does she work outside New York?
Yes. Her museum commission is in Philadelphia, and she works across the US and internationally.
Can she help with lighting, décor and staging?
Yes. Daniela offers creative direction for lighting, décor and production, booked with her DJ set or on its own. See the Mütter Museum case study and daniela.love.
How far ahead should we plan a commission?
Themed commissions need time for research and design, so two to three months ahead is ideal. Standard DJ bookings can move faster. Start with the inquiry form.
Daniela StarCat in New York
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