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Kirk Wilke,
a longtime performer and conductor in the
Fredericksburg and Washington, DC
communities, has established himself as an
advocate and champion for orchestral music.
In 1999, as a founding member of the
Rappahannock POPS Orchestra in
Fredericksburg VA, Mr. Wilke accepted the
position as Music Director of the orchestra.
Since that time, he has been intimately
involved in establishing the first
professional orchestra in that city. Along
with board members, community leaders,
musicians and citizens, Mr. Wilke has worked
to establish the Rappahannock POPS Orchestra
as an integral part of the community. The
orchestra is now in its tenth season,
providing classical and pops concerts to a
wide audience with subscription series and
holiday concerts. In a review from The
Freelance Star: ". . . the orchestra,
under conductor Kirk Wilke, glided from the
Austrian Alps to Middle-earth without a
ruffle. Add the Rappahannock POPS Orchestra
to 'best things about our area' list."
In addition to his position as duties with
the Rappahannock POPS Orchestra, Mr. Wilke
is the Music Director of the Capital Chamber
Symphony, a professional orchestra which he
founded in Washington, DC. With the Capital
Chamber Symphony, Mr. Wilke has been
dedicated to programming American Music.
From 2000-2003, Mr. Wilke served as Music
Director of the Washington Symphony
Orchestra. With the Washington Symphony, Mr.
Wilke conducted subscription series concerts
in such venues as: The Kennedy Center, The
Warner Theater, and The Lincoln Theater. As
the official orchestra of Washington, DC,
Mr. Wilke has had the opportunity of
performing for politicians and dignitaries
at The Capital, The Korean Embassy, The
Austrian Embassy, and The Duke Ellington
School for the Arts. As a part of its
community outreach programs, the orchestra
performed concerts at local churches, parks,
schools and theaters throughout the city.
In 2003 Mr. Wilke gained international
recognition as he became the first American
to conduct the Shangdong Symphony Orchestra
in Jining, China. The Jining Daily said of
Mr. Wilke's work, ". . . an
unforgettable night . . . the people didn't
want to leave the hall. All the music
strongly affected the hearts and souls of
the audience." Mr. Wilke was invited to
return in the spring of 2004 to conduct the
orchestra again, and debut with the Qingtou
Orchestra.
In addition to his work as a conductor of
orchestral repertoire, Mr. Wilke is sought
after as an interpreter of musical theater
productions. He has been engaged by The
Georgetown Gilbert & Sullivan Society,
Tantallon Players, and The McDonough
Players. Among his musical theater credits
are: West Side Story, Zorba, The Wiz,
Expressions of Music, 1940's Radio Hour and
Mame.
As an accomplished pianist Mr. Wilke has
done numerous solo performances and has
maintained a private studio for over 30
years.
In 2000, Mr. Wilke was awarded a
fellowship to the prestigious Aspen Music
Festival, where he performed and conducted
under the guidance of David Zinman, Murry
Sidlin, Jorma Panula, Julius Rudel and David
Robertson. Mr. Wilke is a graduate of the
Eastman School of Music with a Bachelor's
Degree in Music. He has done post graduate
work at McGill University, holds a Master's
Degree in Conducting from The George Mason
University and a Professional Studies degree
from the Cleveland Institute of Music where
he has studied conducting with Carl Topilow,
and Louis Lane.
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