Dr. Daniel R. Perkins is professor of music and director of choral activities at Plymouth State University. In 2007, he was appointed the first Stevens-Bristow Distinguished Professor at PSU. He was recently honored by the American Choral Directors Association as the 2011 New Hampshire Choral Director of the Year. At Plymouth State he conducts both the University Chorale and the much acclaimed Chamber Singers.
Dan Perkins is active as a guest conductor and clinician throughout the United States and abroad. He founded the New Hampshire Master Chorale and serves as music director; he is also music director for the Manchester Choral Society and was Principal Guest Conductor of the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet in Hanoi from 2004-2009. Dan served as the music director for the Hanover Chamber Orchestra in 2008-2009. He is a frequent conductor of the New Hampshire Friendship Chorus and will lead their 2012 tour to Armenia and Georgia. Perkins’ choirs have performed and studied throughout the world: Eastern Europe, South Korea, Vietnam, Brazil, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Poland, Austria, Italy, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Morocco, Ireland, England, South Africa, Portugal, Peru, and Canada. Perkins is also a co-founder, with Dr. Trish Lindberg, of the award-winning Educational Theatre Collaborative, and pianist for the Trio Veritas.
Throughout his conducting history, Perkins has developed programs that reflect his interest in repertoire that is well rounded and multi-cultural, and that encourages work by contemporary composers.
Perkins holds the degrees Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music in Choral Music from the University of Southern California, and Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from Brigham Young University. He continued his studies as a Fulbright scholar in Helsinki, Finland. While there, he worked as the associate conductor of the Finnish Chamber Choir and associate conductor of the Savonlinna Opera Festival Chorus.
