TubaChristmas Personalities

 

Dr. Keith Wilkinson

Conductor, Brass Band of the Western Reserve; Conductor, St. Louis Brass Band; Faculty Member, Capital University

Dr. Wilkinson brings a world of knowledge and expertise to his conducting. His experiences are steeped in the British brass band tradition. During his formative years, in the heart of brass band country in the UK, he began performing on baritone and later as soloist on euphonium. Eventually his performing skills led to his becoming principal euphonium in the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain.

While still a student, he began building a reputation in conducting and rose to great achievement as bandmaster of the Salvation Army and other highly regarded bands. His extensive conducting experience includes concert tours throughout Great Britain and Europe, along with many guest conducting performances. Wilkinson’s leadership led to outstanding contest successes and his credits as a fine conductor continued to grow with each accomplishment.

Dr. Wilkinson’s reputation has continued to be recognized after moving to the United States. He has been responsible for bringing brass bands to northern Ohio and is currently conductor of The Brass Band of the Western Reserve and The St. Louis Brass Band in Missouri, both of which are regarded among the finest brass ensembles in the country. Both bands have achieved acclaim, including competition awards and The Brass Band of the Western Reserve has been named Ensemble-In-Residence at The University Of Akron.

Wilkinson has several highly respected Brass Band CD’s to his credits in England and the United States. 

We are so pleased to have Dr. Keith Wilkinson as our guest conductor for TubaChristmas Cleveland.

Daniel Hathaway

Canon for Music, Art & Worship; Artistic Director, Music & Performing Arts at Trinity Cathedral.

Mr. Hathaway received his Bachelor of Arts degree at Harvard College, pursued graduate studies at Princeton and received his Master of Divinity degree from the Episcopal Divinity School (Cambridge, Massachusetts).

He has has been director of music at Trinity Cathedral, Cleveland, since 1977. He is the founder of Music & Performing Arts and the Brownbag Concert Series, and founding director of the Trinity Chamber Orchestra.

As organist, he has performed extensively throughout the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Austria and Sweden. Cathedral performances include: Trinity Cathedral (Cleveland, Ohio); St John the Divine (New York); Grace & Holy Trinity (Kansas City) and as far reaching as Washington and Topeka. In the UK: cathedrals of Chester, Edinburgh, Norwich and Winchester.

In addition to his performances as organ recitalist and conducting the Trinity Chamber Orchestra, a few highlights of Daniel Hathaway’s past musical experiences include: music director, Grace & Holy Trinity Cathedral, Kansas City; director, St. John’s Chapel at Groton School in Massachusetts; music director of Great Lakes Theatre Festival; assistant choral master, Cleveland Opera; lecturer in music, Cleveland State University; conductor of the opera Dido & Aeneas, in Buenos Aires; guest conductor of Orquestra de Camara del Neuquen in Patagonia. 

Mr. Hathaway will be performing with the TubaChristmas Ensemble in: Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, J.S. Bach; Christmas Time is Here, and Good Christian Men, Rejoice.

Deborah Decker

Soprano

Deborah Decker is an amateur musician with experience in both vocal and instrumental performance. She has sung with the Downers Grove, IL Oratorio, the Cleveland Lutheran Acapella, and numerous church choirs. She has also played flute since fifth grade and performed with the Ft. Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra, the LCCC Orchestra, and the North Royalton Community Band. Deborah is married to the Rev. Wayne Decker and works as a physical therapist in geriatric rehab at Pleasantview Care Center in Parma, Ohio.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bill Park

Music Educator, Composer, Arranger and Conductor

Bill Park has taught elementary and secondary instrumental music for over 35 years in Ohio and Michigan. He holds a Bachelors degree in Education from Bowling Green State University and has pursued graduate work at Eastern Michigan and Cleveland State Universities.

His band and ensemble music is published by Band Music Press, JPM Publishers and Great Works Publishing and is performed throughout the US and appears on several state contest lists. Additional works are published by his company, Dynamic Music.

Beyond the school setting, his conducting experience includes directing the Perrysburg (Ohio) Suburban Singers for 4 seasons. With the Suburban Singers and Perrysburg Community Orchestra, he conducted Handel's Messiah plus theatrical productions ranging from Gilbert and Sullivan to Victor Herbert. Mr. Park is the founding director of North Royalton Community Band in which capacity he has served since 1998. In addition, Park hosts the Northeast Ohio Community Reading Band and has been Coordinator for TubaChristmas Cleveland since 2002.

Carl Schanz