DANIEL HOLT
Orchestral Clinician and Conductor
Music Education Specialist
Violinist/Violist
Orchestral Clinician and Conductor
Music Education Specialist
Violinist/Violist
Daniel Holt served as Conductor of Orchestras and Instructor of Music History Classes at Riverview High School in Sarasota, Florida from 1998-2006. He also served as the coordinator of the International Baccalaureate program in the area of Music. From 1982 until 1998 he served as Ensembles Coordinator and Conductor of the Saint Louis Symphony Young People’s Orchestras. Mr. Holt was Program Coordinator of the Whitaker Music Education Collaborative from 1996-1998, a nationally recognized project that utilized the resources of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, the Symphony Music School, and the University of Missouri-St. Louis Music Department in an extensive cooperative venture with St. Louis area school districts. As a public school educator, Mr. Holt served as Music Department Chair and Conductor of Orchestras at Parkway South High School from 1976-1996 where he directed three of the school’s orchestras and taught music history courses. Prior of joining the faculty in the Parkway School District, he developed the orchestral program at McCluer North High School in the Ferguson-Florissant School District.
Mr. Holt has served music education as President of the Missouri String Teachers’ Association, the St. Louis Suburban Music Educators’ Association, and Vice-President of the Missouri Music Educators’ Association. As a performing musician he has played violin or viola with several ensembles and orchestras located in the central United States. He has also performed in the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Austria. Daniel Holt has been recognized for his contributions to music education by organizations including the American String Teachers’ Association, the Parkway School District, and the St. Louis Suburban Music Educators’ Association from which he has received both the ‘Outstanding Educator’ and ‘Hall of Fame’ awards.
Orchestras under Mr. Holt’s direction have performed at music festivals and conventions throughout the United States and Canada with consistently high praise, and he is a frequent guest conductor of honor and all-state orchestras. He also has developed a unique style of presenting - - using a variety of techniques and methods - - the history of music to students at all grade levels with the intended result that they develop an understanding and enjoyment of art music.
Daniel Holt received his B.M.E. (violin major) from Murray State University and a Master’s Degree in Instrumental Conducting from Webster University.
Mr. Holt is available to share his abilities in the mid-west and in Florida.
PERSONAL CREED
My work in the promotion of music education, especially orchestral activities, has been my focus from the beginning of my teaching career. I consistently provide my students with the skills, advice and direction, and the love of music making so that they experience life-long enjoyment from music. I endeavor to create situations where students learn and perform at their highest potential, recognize and appreciate quality, and develop a respect for the role music has in their lives.
With thirty-six years of experience in public education, my association with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and its Music School, and as coordinator of the Whitaker Music Education Collaborative, I have gained insights that I feel contribute to the passion and style with which I share my knowledge. Every orchestral program with which I have been involved has made rapid growth in both the number of students and in the level of performance. Orchestras under my direction have performed at conventions and festivals throughout the United States and Canada where they have always received outstanding reviews and/or ratings.
It is my most strongly held belief that students not only need but that they also want to know about symphonic music. The key to achieve that concept among young people is in both the content and the context of symphonic activities and performances. I am determined to make every effort to develop and promote programs for young people that contribute to their awareness, knowledge, appreciation, and acceptance of art music. Only then will the youth - and the society at large - recognize and experience music's value.
My work in the promotion of music education, especially orchestral activities, has been my focus from the beginning of my teaching career. I consistently provide my students with the skills, advice and direction, and the love of music making so that they experience life-long enjoyment from music. I endeavor to create situations where students learn and perform at their highest potential, recognize and appreciate quality, and develop a respect for the role music has in their lives.
With thirty-six years of experience in public education, my association with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and its Music School, and as coordinator of the Whitaker Music Education Collaborative, I have gained insights that I feel contribute to the passion and style with which I share my knowledge. Every orchestral program with which I have been involved has made rapid growth in both the number of students and in the level of performance. Orchestras under my direction have performed at conventions and festivals throughout the United States and Canada where they have always received outstanding reviews and/or ratings.
It is my most strongly held belief that students not only need but that they also want to know about symphonic music. The key to achieve that concept among young people is in both the content and the context of symphonic activities and performances. I am determined to make every effort to develop and promote programs for young people that contribute to their awareness, knowledge, appreciation, and acceptance of art music. Only then will the youth - and the society at large - recognize and experience music's value.