Danny Galyen
Professor of Music, Director of Bands
48 Gallagher Bluedorn
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Danny Galyen
Professor of Music, Director of Bands
Danny Galyen is Director of Bands and Professor of Music at UNI. He conducts the Wind Ensemble, provides administrative and artistic direction for the eight ensembles in the band area, and teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in conducting, wind literature, and music education. Prior to his appointment as Director of Bands he served as director of the Panther Marching Band and conductor of the Symphonic Band.
Dr. Galyen is a frequent guest conductor, and has recently led performances of the Wind Orchestra of the State Conservatory of Music in Tashkent, Uzbekistan and the L’Orchestra d’Harmonie du Conservatoire d’Aulnay sous Bois in Paris, France. He has conducted, taught, and adjudicated in Luxembourg, Belgium, Uzbekistan, Ireland, Italy, France, and England and has studied in Holland, Switzerland, and Ireland.
He has led the UNI Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band in commissions or collaborations with numerous guest composers and performers, including James David, Michael Gandolfi, Michael Daugherty, Libby Larsen, Samuel Adler, Dan Bukvich, and Andrew Boysen. The UNI Wind Ensemble CD recording Inspired By Art was released by Mark Records in December, 2019.
Dr. Galyen is also the conductor and co-founder of the UNI Faculty L'Histoire Septet, a professional chamber ensemble that performs contemporary chamber music.
Under his direction the Panther Marching Band grew from 156 to 330 members. In 2015 he led the marching band on it's first international trip, performing for the London New Year's Day Parade. The following year he served as an adjudicator for the New Year's Day Parade and Concert Festival in London. In 2017 the band performed for the New Year's Day Parade in Rome, Italy at the invitation of the Rome City Council.
In 2015 he received the John Baker award from the School of Music faculty for "collegiality, teaching, and scholarly/creative activity." He was awarded the Outstanding Teaching Award for the College of Humanities and Fine Arts in 2010. In 2005, he was the recipient of the David Wilmot Award for excellence in music education at the University of Florida. Dr. Galyen has published articles in The WASBE Journal, The Instrumentalist, Research Perspectives in Music Education, Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, The Journal of String Research, The Music Educators Journal, and the Iowa Bandmasters Association Magazine. He also presents sessions at music conferences nationwide.
Originally from Richmond, Virginia, Dr. Galyen holds a B.A. in music education from Virginia Tech, a Masters degree in music education with a wind conducting emphasis from Syracuse University, and a Ph.D. in music education with a wind conducting concentration from the University of Florida.
Prior to his appointment at UNI, he was Director of Bands and Instrumental Music at Bridgewater College (Virginia), where he conducted the Symphonic Band and taught courses in instrumental conducting and music education. From 1995-2001 he was the Director of Bands at Northside High School in Roanoke, Virginia. Under his leadership the band program more than doubled in size, and his bands received consistent Superior ratings at state and local festivals.
Dr. Galyen holds memberships in The Music Educators National Conference, College Band Directors National Association, the College Music Society, and Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honor Society. He is an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi Honorary Band Fraternity, Tau Beta Sigma Honorary Band Sorority, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity.
M.M. Music Education - Syracuse University
Ph.D Music Education - University of Florida