Mabel Wheeler Daniels (1877 - 1971) USA
- andreachamizoalber
- Sep 2
- 2 min read
American composer, conductor, and teacher, known primarily for her choral music. Born in Massachusetts to a deeply musical family, she displayed talents in piano and composition from a young age. She studied at Radcliffe College, where she also excelled as a soprano and conductor of student operettas, graduating with honors in 1900.
She continued her training at the New England Conservatory, and later in Munich, where she challenged gender norms by becoming the first woman admitted to Bernhard Stavenhagen's sight-reading class, impressing her male classmates with her mastery of the piano.
I begin by sharing with you her work Three Observations for Three Woodwinds, Op. 41. Flute, clarinet, and bassoon. No score available.
Upon returning to the United States, she directed the Radcliffe Glee Club and the music program at Bradford Academy, and from 1913 to 1918 she was head of the music department at Simmons College. Throughout her life, she also established scholarships and funds to support composition students.
One of her best-known works is Deep Forest, Op. 34, No. 1 , which was performed at Carnegie Hall in 1939. Check out the score in the video itself :)
Over 24 summers at the MacDowell Colony, she developed a more impressionistic style, moving away from the Germanic style of her early work. She also composed commemorative works for Radcliffe anniversaries, such as "Exultate Deo" and "A Psalm of Praise ."
She remained active in music into old age, leaving a distinguished legacy in American choral music.
There's only one score for it on imslp, it's three love songs. I'll leave the link if you want to check it out.
And one last video with her piece June Rhapsody
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