Teacher-Scholar Legacies: Dan Locklair
By Christopher Gilliam, Assistant Professor of Music and David Geary, Assistant Professor of Music
With a career spanning over four decades, Composer-in-Residence and Professor of Music Dan Locklair has distinguished himself nationally and internationally as an award-winning and prolific composer of instrumental and vocal music, a professional organist and recitalist, a brilliant and beloved educator, and a dedicated colleague.
A native of Charlotte, N.C., Dan earned a master’s degree from Union Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the Eastman School of Music. A professional organist by the age of 14, his early experiences as recitalist, accompanist, and composer led to a lifetime devoted to music. Dan’s success is surely attributed to his tireless work ethic, tenacious creativity, and a healthy affection for routine. Along with hours dedicated every day to the discipline of musical composition, Dan spends most mornings at 5:30 am swimming laps in the Wake Forest pool.
Since 1981, Dan has won consecutive awards annually from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), and he has been the recipient of a Kennedy Center Friedheim Award and an Aliénor Composition Award, among many others. Dan has been designated as an American Guild of Organists Composer of the Year — a distinguished honor awarded yearly to an American composer who has not only enriched the organ repertoire but also has made significant contributions to symphonic and concert music.
Dan’s compositions have been performed at major festivals throughout the world and in prestigious concert venues, including Carnegie Hall. His music is frequently broadcast on radio programs nationally and internationally, and is printed by notable publishers, including Ricordi [Boosey & Hawkes], Hal Leonard, and Subito. Two recent recordings, Dan Locklair: From East to West & Other Choral Works, and Dan Locklair: Requiem, performed by the Choir of Royal Holloway of the University of London, conducted by Rupert Gough and produced by Convivium Records, have received rave reviews as standout contributions to the world of professional choral and instrumental recordings.
Those of us who have been privileged to work with Dan know him as an affable, caring colleague and friend whose persistent penchant for puns elicited chuckles and groans, brightening departmental meetings and daily exchanges in the Scales hallways. Teresa Radomski, Wake Forest Professor Emerita, writes, “I will always be grateful to Dan for his profound insight, encouraging collegial support, and for his inspiring compositions, especially those I have been honored to perform.”
Dan’s collegiality in the Music Department was further enhanced by exemplary prowess as an educator and tireless mentor for his students. A connective thread through Dan’s teaching — also evident in his career as a professional musician — was an unwavering commitment to excellence. Through an introduction to Western Music, he revealed the beauty and artistry of classical music to thousands of Wake Forest students. His Music Theory III and Music Theory IV courses were cornerstones for music majors, lauded by alumni for their depth and utility.
Dan also mentored students through individual composition instruction. Indeed, many students pursued their music education at Wake Forest specifically to study with him. Wake Forest alum and Director of Choral Activities at Harvard University, Andrew Clark (’98), shared his gratitude for the impact Dan has made in the lives of his students: “Professor Dan Locklair’s legacy at Wake Forest is one of extraordinary artistry, mentorship, and enduring impact. As a teacher, he believed in his students with generous conviction, pushing us toward excellence with both rigor and care — and his influence on my life as a musician and educator has been truly transformational. I am profoundly grateful for his continued mentorship and friendship over the past 25 years, and I celebrate him as a model of the very best Wake Forest has to offer.”
Consummate artist, prolific composer, devoted teacher, supportive colleague — and occasional comedian and pipe smoking enthusiast — Dan’s legacy will impact all who enjoy the opportunity to share in it. We will continue to applaud Dan’s stellar career while we express our deep gratitude for his friendship, mentorship, and dedication to Wake Forest.