John Wesley Strickler, Music Director and Conductor

This season marks the 11th year of partnership between John Strickler and the Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra.  As such, he guided the Orchestra into the 21st Century and the milestone 2001/02 40th anniversary season.  Since Dr. Strickler’s appointment as Music Director, the GCSO has experienced considerable artistic growth and renewed interest.  The orchestra performed with Luciano Pavarotti and was invited to tour with Andre Bocelli, and outdoor concerts on Memorial Day weekend consistently draw an estimated 10,000 attendees.

Throughout his career, Strickler has been praised for his innovative concert programs, prompting the press to declare him “…a true master at programming.”  Whether premiering a new work or presenting a classic by a great master, Strickler continually delights audiences with performances that are “…emotionally and intellectually satisfying.”  His programs offer a “…judicious balance of the familiar and the progressive,” and performances he has led have been described as “flawless,” “tour de force,” and “rousing.”

Singers and instrumentalists alike praise Strickler’s work as an accompanist.  Itzhak Perlman and Frederica von Stade found him to be a very sensitive and most accommodating conductor.  Over the years, Strickler has enjoyed performing with such distinguished artists as:  Larisa Elisha, Steven Elisha, Claudio Jaffe, Sharan Leventhal, Brian Lewis, Marina Lomazov, Richetta Manager, Horia Mihail, Jon Nakamatsu, Artur Pizarro, Sandra Rivers, Jung Pill Ryu, Stephen Salters, Wayne Shepperd, David Shifrin, Wendy Warner, Andre Watts, Ivan Zenaty, the Canadian Brass, the Elaris Duo, the Gramercy Trio, and Five By Design. 

In addition to his work with the Gulf Coast Symphony, Strickler is also Music Director and Conductor of the Topeka Symphony Orchestra in Kansas, a position he has held since 1989.  During his tenure, the TSO has evolved from an all-volunteer community orchestra to a professional regional ensemble with an active educational program, and outreach activities, such as run-out concerts to other communities and annual School Day concerts played to more than 4,000 students, have been implemented.

During one of his guest conducting appearances, Strickler stood on Dvorak’s podium for a performance of the “New World Symphony” with the North Czech Philharmonic in Dvorak Hall in Prague’s Rudolfinum.  He also led the South Bohemian Chamber Philharmonic in a program of Haydn and Mozart in Vienna’s Kaisersaal.  In 2003, he spent three weeks in Romania conducting the Philharmonic Orchestras in the cities of Ploieste, Bacau, and Brasov. 

A native of New Glarus, Wisconsin, Strickler received his Bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Wisconsin.  As an undergraduate, he was an organist and percussionist, having played in the Madison Symphony Orchestra.  While earning his Master’s in conducting and PhD in theory from the University of Southern California, Dr. Strickler was affiliated with the San Gabriel Valley Jr. Symphony, the Coterie Symphonique, the USC Symphony and Community Orchestras, and the Long Beach Community Orchestra.

His conducting mentors have included such highly esteemed musicians and teachers as Daniel Lewis, H. Robert Reynolds, Jon Robertson, Herbert Blomstedt, Jorge Mester, and Joseph Gifford. 

In 1998, Dr. Strickler was a recipient of the Kansas Governor’s Arts Award in recognition of his contribution to the cultural life of Topeka and northeast Kansas. 

One will quickly realize that Dr. Strickler’s artistic talents go beyond the podium should you experience one of his exquisite gourmet feasts, or step into his lush garden, where, if you can imagine, there is a floral symphony to delight the senses.  Aside from orchestral music, Strickler enjoys many types of music including Celtic, folk, blue grass, jazz, rock, country and opera.