Daniel Baker

Music Director, Northland Summer Singers

Daniel A. Baker joined the Choral Foundation family as a member of the William Baker Festival Singers in 2022.  He is an accomplished piano/organist, music director, and is well-known throughout the Kansas City area for the diversity of his professional talents.  Danny was chosen in 2024 to expand the Choral Foundation’s portfolio of ensembles to the growing communities of the Northland of Kansas City with the creation of the Northland Summer Singers.  The Northland Summer Singers will open in June 2025 and will welcome singers from across the entire region, being particularly convenient to the areas in and around Liberty, Parkville, Kansas City and St. Joseph.

 Mr. Baker’s passion for choral music was greatly influenced by his early mentors, Beth Files and Mary Bodney.  He earned opportunities to conduct and accompany at an early age.  Mr. Baker attended Northwest Missouri State University located in Maryville, pursuing Bachelor’s Degree of Fine Arts in Music.  While in college served as an accompanist for vocal and instrumental studios, ensembles, recitals and served as music director for the Upsilon Chi chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. Baker studied conducting with Alfred E. Sergel III and Dr. Richard Weymuth, and attended choral conducting master classes with Rodney Eichenberger, Dr. David Rail, and Donald Brinegar.  While attending NWMSU, he served as Director of Music at St. Gregory’s Catholic Community and served as the PreK-8 General Music Teacher for the School. 

 Soon after college, Danny accepted a position of Director of Liturgy and Music with the historic St. James Catholic Church (est. in 1837) located in Liberty, MO. He is the principal organist, and is the music director of both the St. James Parish choir and St. James Parish Handbell choir. In addition to being a staff member, he served on a design team to help create the beautiful modern St. James Church that was built in 2019 to serve a growing Catholic community in Liberty. He continues to grow in his love for choral music by coordinating and serving as host to a variety of live choir performances at St. James, including local and traveling community choirs from across the country.

 Currently serving as Tenor Section Leader, Resident Organist and Rehearsal Accompanist for the award-winning, semi–professional chorale, The William Baker Festival Singers, Danny is also an instructor of Keyboard Arts – Collaborative Pianist at William Jewell College located in Liberty, Missouri. In recent years, Danny has served as staff accompanist for Liberty Community Chorus + Northwest Missouri State University as well as offering private instruction in voice and piano.

 Danny also has a love of show tunes and currently serves as the Assistant Music Director at the Worlds of Fun amusement park located in Kansas City, Missouri, for their world-class live entertainment during the summer season since 2017.

 In 2024, Danny served as convention chair for the 47th National Association of Pastoral Musicians as they hosted the conference event in Kansas City, Missouri. The national conference hosted hundreds of Catholic musicians at venues across KC including a celebratory concert at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. The event titled, Fountains of Faith: A Concert of Forces, featured the Choral Foundation ensemble, The William Baker Festival Singers, Dr. Jan Kraybill on the Cassavant organ, and the Fountain City Brass Band.