Memorial Minute: Daune Mahy, 1938-2025

Born near Sacramento, California, Daune Mahy was active in music and theater from an early age. She earned her bachelor’s and master of music degrees from Westminster Choir College; attended the Hochschule für Musik in Hamburg; and held a doctorate in music from the University of Indiana, Bloomington. Before joining the Oberlin Conservatory faculty, Daune performed throughout the United States and Europe and served on the faculty of the University of Nebraska at Omaha School of Music. And she later shared her gifts beyond our campus, serving as principal soprano at Trinity Cathedral in Cleveland from 1980 to 2008.

I was privileged to know Daune as a teacher, colleague, and friend. We both began our Oberlin careers in 1980, Daune as a new voice faculty member and I as a freshman conservatory voice student. I distinctly remember singing my first semester jury in Warner Concert Hall, and seeing Daune smile encouragingly from the front row. Her bright, energetic, “Good morning!” at the beginning of every nine a.m. English Diction class revealed a clear, high soprano that challenged the students to match her energy in meeting the demands of the day.

As students, we had the pleasure of hearing Daune sing in recitals and performances across campus. I particularly remember her performance as Gabriel in Haydn’s The Creation with Oberlin’s Musical Union. Finney was filled to the rafters with students excited to hear their professors and absorb their musical and vocal excellence. Daune didn’t disappoint. 

When I joined the conservatory’s voice faculty, I became reacquainted with Daune’s boundless energy and enthusiasm. As a junior faculty member, she invited me to join the faculty of the Vocal Academy for High School Students and Oberlin-in-Italy, both highly successful programs that she founded. Both were firsts of their kind, and served as models for the many high school programs and Italian summer music programs that exist today. 

Daune could be exacting with her colleagues, assuming the same dedication and time commitment from them, as she was willing to give to all her initiatives. Yet as a young faculty member, I saw how both the students and vocal studies division benefited from her zeal.

Daune’s studio was next to mine in Bibbins Hall. As I arrived into the conservatory each day, I knew she had already been there since the early hours, having completed her morning swim at Philips gym. She began her lessons before most of her colleagues had enjoyed their morning coffee and would likely stay into the late hours of the evening, preparing her classes or recruiting students and faculty for her beloved Oberlin-in-Italy program. 

Daune touched every voice student enrolled in the Conservatory from 1980 to 2019 through her lyric diction offerings and rigorous classes that helped set the standard for instruction in the division. As dedicated as Daune was to Oberlin and her summer programs, she was even more dedicated to her students. Whether calling them in for extra lessons, giving career advice, or simply reviewing options for concert attire, Daune was always available to her students and fiercely committed to their development. Her mentorship would continue long after her students graduated. 

Traveling to hear her former students perform, spending time with their young families, or just catching up on life brought Daune great joy. Today, her students continue to sing in some of the world’s most prestigious opera houses and are well represented among voice faculties, higher education administrations, and arts organizations throughoutt the United States. 

An educator and mentor who represents the very best Oberlin has to offer, we can be proud to have counted Daune Mahy among our faculty.

Memorial Minute written and read at a general faculty meeting by Robert W. Wheeler Professor of Voice Salvatore Champagne.