Dr. Daniel Stevens proudly serves with the faculty of Mississippi State University as the Department Head and Professor of Music. Under the MSU College of Education, the Department of Music celebrates a new state-of-the-art $21 million music facility, an All-Steinway piano inventory nearing $2 million, and the contributions of 50 esteemed faculty members that impact 1,000+ student musicians across campus.  

Prior to MSU, Dr. Stevens enjoyed a lengthy tenure at two higher education institutions: first, at Southwestern College (Winfield, KS) for eight years as the Mazie Barnet Kilmer Chair for String Education; and most recently as Professor of Music, Director of the Peery Center for Orchestral Studies, and applied viola studio teacher at the University of North Alabama.  

As a conductor, Dr. Stevens’ tenure includes serving as music director of the South Kansas Symphony (2006-2014) and Shoals Symphony Orchestra (2014-2022), the latter of which grew from a community organization to a regional-professional orchestra with a $600,000 annual impact in North Alabama. He has conducted sell-out performances of Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean, The Jungle Book, Home Alone, and Raiders of the Lost Ark live in concert, has been a guest clinician/adjudicator for state honor festivals in Alabama, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. 

As a professional musician, Dr. Stevens had a 15-year career as violist with the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra. He has held esteemed positions in the Aspen Music Festival Orchestra, the Wintergreen Music Festival Orchestra, the Colorado Springs Music Festival Orchestra, and has been a feature chamber musician in the Ameropa International Chamber Music Festival in Prague, Czech Republic and the VIII Encuentro de Pianistas held at the University of Costa Rica. In 2010, Dr. Stevens performed in a Carnegie Hall debut through Distinguished Concerts International, New York.  This acclaim led to an instrument sponsorship from K.C. Strings Violin Shop. His professional violin and viola are premiere custom instruments made by Anton Krutz. 

When asked about most memorable performances, Dr. Stevens has fond memories of appearing on a PBS special, Music for Life, with Bob McGrath of Sesame Street fame, playing with musicians from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the NY Metropolitan Opera at the Aspen Music Festival, performing in orchestras to accompany Luciano Pavarotti’s farewell tour and the 2023 Eagles Hotel California Tour, conducting the national anthem with the 400-member Famous Maroon Band at the 2022 MSU-Georgia football game (60,000+ in attendance), and recently guest conducting the Alabama Symphony Orchestra in April 2023.