Daniel Baldwin is the head of the Music Department and since 1997 has served as director of orchestral activities at Luther College. Baldwin earned the bachelor of music (cello) degree from Furman University and master of music (cello) and doctor of musical arts (orchestral conducting) degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to his arrival at Luther College, Baldwin served as director of orchestral activities at Central Washington University (Ellensburg, Washington).

Baldwin received his formal training in string pedagogy as a teacher in the University of Texas String Project, perhaps the most comprehensive program of its kind in North America. Phyllis Young, director of the String Project for 35 years, was Baldwin's cello teacher during his studies at the University of Texas. He studied conducting with Henry Charles Smith, Cornelius Eberhardt, Sung Kwak, Walter Ducloux, and Fiora Contino. 

Baldwin has served as music director of the Central Kentucky Youth Orchestra and the Transylvania Youth Orchestra of the Brevard (North Carolina) Music Center, the largest summer music festival in the South. A 1991 conducting fellow of the Conductor's Institute of the University of South Carolina and formerly a cellist with the Brevard Music Center Orchestra, Baldwin maintains an active schedule as a clinician, adjudicator, and guest conductor. Since 2007 he has served as musical and artistic director for the Lake Chelan Bach Fest in North Central Washington state. 

Since coming to Luther College, Baldwin has traveled to Europe five times with the Luther College Symphony Orchestra, enjoying month-long January residencies in Vienna, Austria, and performing in such venues as the Bruckner Conservatory in Linz and the Vienna Konzerthaus. The ensemble will return to Vienna in 2019 and looks forward to performing at the Musikverein. The Luther College Symphony also tours annually in the United States. Since 1997, Baldwin and the Luther Symphony have completed sixteen American tours, performing in at least 20 states.