MANSFIELD, PA— Peggy Dettwiler, professor of Music 
and director of Choral Activities at Mansfield University, has been selected as an Honored Artist of The American Prize.
Honored Artists are individuals who have proven themselves to be musicians of “sustained excellence” over a number of seasons as contestants in the competitions. Dettwiler is one of only five people chosen for the honor.
The American Prize is a series of new, non-profit, competitions unique in scope and structure, designed to recognize and reward the best performing artists, ensembles and composers in the U.S. based on submitted recordings. The American Prize was founded in 2009 and is awarded annually in many areas of the performing arts.
In 2014, Maestro David Katz, chief judge of The American Prize, expressed a hope for the competitions “to do more” to advance the art. The creation of the Honored Artist designation is one way the competition seeks to bring additional recognition to laureates it deems especially worthy.
Dettwiler conducts the Mansfield Festival Chorus, Concert Choir and Chamber Singers, and teaches choral conducting and methods. The Concert Choir, which she has conducted for 23 years, has been invited each of the last 20 years to perform at state, regional, national or international choral conventions.
In 2010, Dettwiler received the Elaine Brown Award for Choral Excellence from the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association. She placed second for The 2011 American Prize for Choral Conductors at the College/University level and second in the choral division of The American Prize in 2013.
In April 2015, Dettwiler was awarded the MU Presidential Coin for Excellence by President Fran Hendricks. The coin is awarded selectively to persons who have contributed greatly to the university, using the Mansfield Creed; Character, Scholarship, Culture and Service as a guideline.
Dettwiler has served as a guest conductor and lecturer throughout the country and has given presentations at numerous National Association of Music Education (NAfME) and American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) Conventions. She has produced two DVDs, Developing a Vocal Color Palette for Various Choral Styles and Sing in Style.
Dettwiler holds the Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. She also has a Master of Music Degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a Master of Music Degree in Music Education from the University of Wisconsin in Madison.