Choral Arts New England’s 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award is being made to Dr. Daniel F. Perkins, music director, conductor, professor of music, advocate for new music and educator.

Dan is the music director of the Manchester Choral Society and Orchestra, and founder and music director of the New Hampshire Master Chorale. He is co-founder, with Dr. Patricia Lindberg, of the Educational Theatre Collaborative. He is also the director and pianist for Trio Veritas, a chamber music ensemble whose configuration changes with unique and varied repertoire. A passionate advocate of new music, his ensembles have premiered over 30 new works. He has led international performance tours and served as both guest conductor and choral clinician all over the world.

Dan has distinguished himself as an educator. He was appointed the first Stevens-Bristow Distinguished Professor at Plymouth State University, where he is now professor emeritus. In addition, he has established programs to reach out to and engage younger singers, looking to the future of choral music.

Dan holds the degrees of 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.