University Orchestra – Thomas Wilkins, conductor

University Orchestra – Thomas Wilkins, conductor
Piano and trumpet soloists to be announced
Repertoire
Daugherty: Strut (1994)
Walker: Lyric for strings (1946)
Shostakovich: Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 35 (1933)
Tchaikovsky: Serenade in C Major, Op. 48 (1880)
About the Conductor
Thomas Wilkins is principal conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, artistic partner for education and external engagement and Germeshausen Family and Youth Concerts Conductor Chair with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and professor of music (conducting) at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he holds the Henry A. Upper Chair of Orchestral Conducting, established by the late Barbara and David Jacobs as a part of Indiana University’s Matching the Promise Campaign. He is also music director laureate of the Omaha Symphony, where he was music director from 2005 through 2021, and principal guest conductor of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. Past positions have included resident conductor of the Detroit Symphony and the Florida Orchestra (Tampa Bay) and associate conductor of the Richmond (Virginia) Symphony. He also has served on the music faculties of North Park University (Chicago), University of Tennessee in Chattanooga, and Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. Devoted to promoting a life-long enthusiasm for music, Wilkins brings energy and commitment to audiences of all ages. He is hailed as a master at communicating and connecting with audiences. He has guest conducted orchestras throughout the United States. Wilkins’ commitment to community has been demonstrated by his participation on several boards of directors, including the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, the Charles Drew Health Center (Omaha), the Center Against Spouse Abuse in Tampa Bay, and the Museum of Fine Arts as well as the Academy Preparatory Center both in St. Petersburg, Florida. Currently, he serves as chairman of the board for the Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund and as National Ambassador for the non-profit World Pediatric Project, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, which provides children throughout Central America and the Caribbean with critical surgical and diagnostic care. A native of Norfolk, Virginia, Wilkins is a graduate of the Shenandoah Conservatory of Music and the New England Conservatory of Music (Boston). He and his wife, Sheri-Lee, are the proud parents of twin daughters, Erica and Nicole.