Hank Dahlman was Director of CELIA, the Ohio Center of Excellence for Collaborative Education, Leadership & Innovation in the Arts, based at Wright State University. He was also Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies at Wright State University, where he served as the conductor of the WSU Collegiate Chorale.
Dahlman served as the Founder and Artistic Director of Wright State's annual Holidays in the Heartland and the Mad River Vocal Arts Festival, and was the Artistic Director of WSU’s popular annual Madrigal Dinners for over 20 years. Wright State choirs under his direction toured regularly in the U.S. and abroad, have been invited to sing for conferences of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) and other professional organizations, and competed at the Champions Level of the 2012 World Choir Games. Choirs directed by Dahlman have also appeared on stage with such notable and varied performers as Anonymous 4, Leon Bates, Simon Carrington, Marvin Hamlisch, and Kenny Rogers. Dahlman has prepared world or regional premieres of new works by such composers as William Bolcom, Robert Xavier Rodriquez, Steven Winteregg, James McCray, and Robert Yeager. Dahlman’s ensembles have also prepared demonstration recordings of new choral works for nationally known music publishers, and had frequently appeared with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, including performances of the Britten War Requiem, the Brahms Requiem, the Bernstein MASS, the Stravinsky Mass, and numerous Bach motets and cantatas.
Previous director of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra Chorus, Dahlman has served as a guest conductor with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, and founded the Dayton Philharmonic Chamber Choir in 2000. Dr. Dahlman conducted the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra Chorus in performance with professional orchestras such as the Czech Chamber Philharmonic in Prague and at the Salzburg Cathedral celebrating Mozart's 250th birthday in 2006. He conducted in his Carnegie Hall debut in 2008, and in June 2010 conducted the DPOC and other choirs in performance at Avery Fisher Hall in New York’s Lincoln Center. Recent professional conducting engagements have included the Mozart Requiem and Handel’s Messiah with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra.
Dr. Dahlman appeared as a guest conductor, presenter, or adjudicator at festivals and conferences at the international, national, and regional levels. His Choral Pronunciation Guide to Carl Orff's Carmina Burana has been called an industry standard, and used by universities, professional orchestras, and choruses on five continents.