Kansas City Symphony associate conductor to lead KU orchestra

LAWRENCE -- The University of Kansas Department of Music and Dance recently announced the appointment of Timothy John Hankewich as interim director of orchestral activities for the 2002-2003 academic year. Hankewich will assume the responsibilities of the retiring Brian Priestman.

Hankewich is associate conductor of the Kansas City Symphony and will continue in that capacity in addition to his interim role with the KU Symphony Orchestra. Hankewich conducts the NightLights Pops Series and the Family Series for the Kansas City Symphony and in 2002-2003 he will conduct two Classical Series concerts.

"We are extremely pleased to have Dr. Hankewich as our orchestra director," said Larry Mallett, chair of the KU Department of Music and Dance. "In addition to the outstanding work he has accomplished with the Kansas City Symphony and the wealth of professional experience and musicianship he brings to our students, I'm glad we can strengthen the collaborative efforts with our colleagues in the region."

Before joining the Kansas City Symphony, Hankewich served as conducting apprentice from 1996 to 1998 with the Oregon Symphony, where he led the orchestra in subscription concerts, on tour, for family programs and for special events including "Baroque Favorites" and a "Mozart Marathon."

Hankewich has appeared with the Chinese Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra in Beijing, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and the Indiana University Philharmonic Orchestra and New Music Ensemble. In addition, he served as a conducting fellow with the Aspen Music Festival in 1997 and returned in 1998 as the recipient of the Aspen Conducting Prize, conferred upon him by Maestro David Zinman, former music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

In Canada, Hankewich has led performances with the Edmonton Youth Orchestra, the University of Alberta Symphonic Wind Ensemble and the Northern Lights Chamber Orchestra. In addition to his achievements in the symphonic repertoire, Hankewich is actively pursuing a career in opera conducting. He has led performances of Smetana's "Bartered Bride," Britten's "Peter Grimes" and Rossini's "Barber of Seville" for the renowned Indiana University Opera Theater. He has served as assistant to the conductor in productions of Wagner's "Die Meistersinger von Nuremberg," "Der Fliegende Holl¹nder" and "Parsifal" with the Cleveland Opera Company and the Weimar National Theater in Germany.

A native of Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Hankewich completed his doctoral degree in orchestral conducting from the Indiana University School of Music, where he was awarded a full study fellowship as well as the prestigious Presser Foundation Scholarship.

For more information, contact Vickie Hamilton-Smith at (785) 864-9742.