08/14/2026
The School of Theatre is mourning the loss of our dear friend and colleague, Jan McDaniel
The Oklahoma City University community mourns the loss of Prof. Jan McDaniel, who died Thursday after a hard-fought battle with pancreatic cancer. An inspiring creative collaborator and beloved member of the music faculty for 27 years, he was Professor of Vocal Coaching, an award-winning conductor of OCU’s Oklahoma Opera and Music Theater Company, and husband to fellow faculty member Dr. Catherine McDaniel.
During his career, he mentored hundreds of students and led three dozen mainstage OCU opera and music theater productions, including regional and world premieres. McDaniel and his OCU creative teams have been honored with seven national Production Awards from the National Opera Association.
“He was a wonder. The man was good at simply everything, a pillar of our opera and music theater program,” said Dr. David Herendeen, OCU’s opera and musical theater director since 1997. “We wouldn’t be what we are today without Jan McDaniel. He shared so much valuable information, and joyfully told the most wonderful stories. The soul of what he built will remain with us, and be part of his continuing legacy.”
In addition to his musicianship from the podium and at the keyboard, McDaniel was renowned as an educator. He founded and directed OCU’s Wanda L. Bass School of Music graduate program in Vocal Coaching and in May was featured as Master Teacher of Vocal Coaching at the 2026 National Association of Teachers of Singing Intern Program in Greenville, S.C., leading intensives with early-career voice teachers and collaborative pianists.
McDaniel was a frequent guest conductor with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic and with Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma. His work on the podium for Lyric’s 2025 production of Oklahoma! was voted Best Music Direction & Orchestra Performance by readers of BroadwayWorld Oklahoma.
He also was founding music director of Painted Sky Opera, championing new works and presenting classic opera and operetta, and music director of OCU’s New York Showcase. He collaborated on performances and recording projects with vocalists including alumni Kelli O'Hara, Kristin Chenoweth and Marquita Lister.
McDaniel joined the OCU faculty in 1999 after 10 years as director of accompanying and orchestral activities at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. Previously, he was a Rotary International Graduate Scholar at the Nordwest Deutsche Musikakademie and assistant conductor and vocal coach with the Detmold State Theater in Detmold, Germany.
He served several seasons as musical director of the Key West Symphony Orchestra’s Young Artist Opera Program and taught for six summers at Taos Opera Institute.
In 2017, the College of Fine Arts at Midwestern State University celebrated his contributions by honoring him an Outstanding Alumnus.
Longtime colleague Dr. Melissa Plamann — University Organist and artist-in-residence at Westminster Presbyterian Church, where McDaniel served as Co-Director of Worship & The Arts — called him “a brilliant and inspired force within the musical world and a steadfast member of many communities in Oklahoma City and beyond…generous, selfless, humble, brilliant, and kind beyond measure.”
