Daniel Neer – Music Interviewer and Voice Teacher

Daniel Neer has hosted nationally syndicated radio shows for four decades. His passion is interviewing musicians and discovering new talent, and his shows regularly receive millions of plays each week.

Neer is a multifaceted artist; singer, theatrical performer, librettist, lyricist and voice teacher. He currently teaches vocal pedagogy at Mannes Prep School for Boys (Mannes Prep) Otterbein University as well as in Ohio where he lives and resides.

Early Life and Education

Daniel is an exceptionally gifted lyricist and librettist, creating THE NEW SONG recital series. As a solo performer at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and The Kennedy Center; also at Phoenix Concerts Lotte Lehman Foundation The Apollo Salon Series Miller Theater Composer Portraits as well as Guggenheim Museum Works & Process where he presented European and American Art Song repertoire.

His choral music compositions have received world premiere performances with both the New York City Chamber Orchestra and Brooklyn Philharmonic Chorus, in addition to receiving world premiere performances himself as a singer with both orchestras. Furthermore, he has earned worldwide renown as an accomplished voice teacher; some of his students have gone on to Broadway, London’s West End theatres as well as regional theatre as well as film/TV.

Neer is married and is raising three children in Bismarck, North Dakota. He belongs to both the American Guild of Musical Artists and Dramatists Guild of America as members.

Professional Career

Neer is renowned as both a singer and voice teacher. His students have gone on to perform on Broadway, London’s West End, regional theatre productions, national tours as well as film and television projects.

His vocal chamber music and art song recitals have been performed with Rebel Baroque Orchestra, Metropolis Ensemble, New York Composers Circle, Experiments in Opera and Two Sides Sounding. Additionally, he serves as librettist for Independence Eve – an exciting American chamber opera by Sidney Marquez Boquiren with numerous successful workshop performances already.

Neer’s grant-funded work, Water Music: A Concert for the Environment, debuted in March. The concert featured pre-concert discussions with conservation experts from Otterbein University as well as an interlude featuring one of his own poems written as part of this grant-funded piece.

Achievement and Honors

Neer has written, produced, and hosted nationally syndicated music interview shows (such as WPIX-FM’s K-ROCK in New York City as well as National Public Radio’s Weekend Edition and Musicians On Call in National Public Radio), interviewing numerous rock stars as well as new artists. Additionally he provides vocal training services to both high school and college students in his home state of Ohio.

Otterbein University’s Water Music: Art Song in Recital project featured him recently with an environmental message set into context by conservation experts; this concert included the world premiere grant-funded composition Polar Bear written for baritone and Sara Carina Graef to perform alongside Polar Bear International.

Personal Life

Daniel Neer is an in-demand concert singer, vocal clinician, and teacher. In addition to maintaining his own private voice studio at home and serving on The New School’s Mannes Prep Division faculty for pre-college students (Mannes Prep), he has taught classes at Peabody Prep, University of Michigan, and Berkshire Choral Festival – among others.

Neer has performed recital and chamber music at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and The Kennedy Center – as well as premiering several art songs and lyric works composed by Alex Burtzos, Ellen Mandel, Robin McClellan and Linda Kernohan.

Otterbein University guest artist Daniel Neer was presented a program with an environmental message at Otterbein University’s Water Music: Art Song in Recital concert series in March. Water Music featured the world premiere of a grant-funded commission as well as pre and post concert discussions between Otterbein Zoo staff, Conservation Science faculty members, Polar Bear International representatives and their attendees.