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John Wesley Strickler, Music Director and Conductor
Motion: the ability or power to move; a meaningful or expressive change in the position of the body or a part of the body.
From its very beginning, music has been integrated with motion. Aside from the physical act of creating music, when I think of motion and music, the first thing that comes to mind is dance. Dance is the basis for much of the music we enjoy. From symphonies and concertos to everything in between, dance is a central element. Closely related to dance is the procession – whether it be a festive parade, a military march, or a solemn occasion.
This season, we’ll explore the relationship between music and motion, as each program includes some aspect of dance or a procession. Our five classical masterworks programs feature an array of soloists and symphonies, including works by Beethoven, Brahms, Dvorak, Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky.
We’re on the move, so come along as we explore the perpetual motion that is your Gulf Coast Symphony.
John Strickler
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John Wesley Strickler, Music Director and Conductor
Throughout his career, John 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 are described as “flawless,” “tour de force,” and “rousing.”
Strickler has held appointments with various orchestras, and has worked with many others as guest conductor. In 1989, he assumed the music directorship of the Topeka Symphony Orchestra, having been selected from a field of more than 90 applicants. During his tenure, the TSO has grown from an all-volunteer community orchestra to a per-service, professional regional ensemble.
In 1999, Strickler guest conducted the Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra in Biloxi, MS resulting in his appointment as music director and conductor, a position he holds concurrently with that in Topeka. Since his appointment, the GCSO has experienced considerable artistic growth and renewed interest. Outdoor concerts on Memorial Day weekend consistently draw an estimated 10,000 attendees, and the orchestra performed with Luciano Pavarotti and was invited to tour with Andre Bocelli.
During his most recent guest conducting activities in October of 2005, Strickler stood on Dvorak’s podium for a performance of the “New World Symphony” with the North Czech Philharmonic in Dvorak Hall in Prague. Also, he led the South Bohemian Chamber Philharmonic in a program of Haydn and Mozart in Vienna’s Kaisersaal; and in 2003, he spent three weeks in Romania where he conducted the Philharmonic Orchestras in the cities of Ploieste, Bacau, and Brasov.
Singers and instrumentalists alike praise John’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, 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.
During the summer of 1993, Strickler served as music director for Topeka Civic Theatre’s highly acclaimed production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance. And the reviewers agreed that John blended not only a talented orchestra, but also dynamic solo performers with an incredibly professional sounding chorus, which was breathtaking in its beauty. Three years later, he served in the same capacity for the Madison (WI) Savoyards’ production of the same operetta, and the press again responded with similar accolades.
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, John held conducting positions 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, John 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.
Aside from orchestral music, John enjoys many types of music including Celtic, folk, blue grass, jazz, rock, country and opera. One will quickly realize that John’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.
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