David Daniels

The best part of attending the University of Michigan is the plethora of opportunities which are available in such enormous quantities that it is easy to neglect them. It is easy to assume that there will always be another opportunity, to become numb to the significance of each event as it has become a new state of normal and to miss meeting people & attending performances that students around the world have only dreamed of attending.

One such opportunity will take place this Sunday afternoon at 4 pm. At this time David Daniels, a new faculty voice professor within the School of Music, Theatre and Dance, will present a recital – completely free of charge.

For those of you who are not familiar with opera this may not seem like a big deal, after all, it is simply a recital that is being given by a new faculty member at the university. However, for those who are familiar with opera you will realize that this is David Daniels that we are talking about. The same David Daniels who is credited with reestablishing the countertenor as a major force in opera and is embraced as the world’s greatest countertenor. The same David Daniels that has sung at the biggest opera houses around the world where thousands of patrons have paid hundreds of dollars to hear him sing. And this same man is performing a concert free of charge on campus.

As David Daniels has said his “goal is to try to give this as long a life as possible and perform it in as many places as I can. Careers don’t go on forever, so I would like to do it as often as possible. I’ve sung 20 years as countertenor and I don’t feel like I’m slowing down at all. In fact, I now have a confidence level that I didn’t have 10 years ago. I feel like a deeper artist, a better communicator. I actually prefer that to fireworks. More realness, honesty, and…maturity. Yeah, that’s a good word! Maturity.”

The university is lucky to have such a wonderful, mature artist as part of their staff. Let us not become numb to how extraordinary this opportunity is and I hope that Britton Recital Hall is just as full as the other venues that Daniels is used to singing at.