author
Mabel W. (Mabel Wheeler) Daniels
1878–1971
A pioneering American composer, conductor, and teacher, she built a career in choral and orchestral music at a time when women faced steep barriers in the profession. Her life joined serious musical training, college leadership, and a long commitment to teaching and new work.
1 Audiobook
An American Girl in Munich: Impressions of a Music Student
by Mabel W. (Mabel Wheeler) Daniels
About the author
Born in Swampscott, Massachusetts, Mabel Wheeler Daniels grew up in a deeply musical family and went on to study at Radcliffe College, graduating in 1900. She later studied composition with George Whitefield Chadwick at the New England Conservatory and continued her training in Munich with Ludwig Thuille, experiences that helped shape her voice as a composer.
Daniels became known as an American composer, conductor, and teacher, with a strong reputation in choral music as well as orchestral writing. She directed the Radcliffe Glee Club and later headed music at Simmons College, combining creative work with academic leadership. Her music includes the well-known choral work Exultate Deo, and she was also associated with MacDowell as a fellow.
She died in 1971 after a long life in music, and her papers are preserved at Harvard. Today, she is remembered as one of the notable American women composers of her era, admired for both her craft and the determination that carried her through a profession still opening its doors to women.