John Wesley Strickler, Music Director and Conductor

This season marks the 13th for John Strickler as Music Director of the Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra.  Throughout his career, John Strickler has been praised for his innovative concert programs, prompting the press to declare him “…a true master at programming.”  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:  Daniel Adni, Jeffrey Biegel, Daniel Beliavsky, Larisa Elisha, Steven Elisha, Ina Faliks, Claudio Jaffe, Julius Kim, Sharan Leventhal, Brian Lewis, Marina Lomazov, Richetta Manager, Horia Mihail, Jon Nakamatsu, Michael Pearson, 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. 

Since Strickler’s appointment, the GCSO has experienced considerable artistic growth and renewed interest.  The orchestra performed with Luciano Pavarotti and was invited to tour with Andre Bocelli.  The annual Holiday and “Sounds by the Sea” concerts have been added to the season, the latter of which consistently draws an estimated 10,000 attendees.

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, and he spent three weeks in Romania conducting the Philharmonic Orchestras in the cities of Ploieste, Bacau, and Brasov. 

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, including annual School Day concerts played to more than 4,000 students.

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.  Further, the opening concert of the Topeka Symphony’s 60th anniversary season, featuring Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, was televised by KTWU TV and received a Telly Award in 2007.  

A native of New Glarus, Wisconsin, Strickler received his Bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Wisconsin.  He earned his Master’s in conducting and PhD in theory from the University of Southern California.