Dr. Rachel Dirks, Director of Orchestral Studies, is an active conductor, clinician, and educator. Dr. Dirks holds cello performance degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and Bethel College, and she recently completed her Ph.D. in music education and orchestral conducting at the University of Kansas. As a guest conductor Dr. Dirks has been invited to conduct orchestras throughout the United States. As a featured clinician, she has been invited to present at the National Convention of the American String Teachers Association, the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Conference, and the state music education conferences of Texas, Oregon, Colorado, and Kansas.
Along with her work with the Kansas State University Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Dirks continues to perform as a cellist in a wide array of ensembles and venues. Throughout her career she has toured with her orchestras in Italy, Austria, and Ireland, as well as San Francisco, Chicago, and New York, including two performances in the Isaac Stern Auditorium of Carnegie Hall. She has been honored with teaching and service awards from the Kansas Music Educators Association, the American String Teachers Association, and the Lawrence Schools Foundation. Throughout all of her work, her fundamental goal is to encourage musicians to seek and create community through music.
M. Evan Ricker, Jr., Graduate Assistant Conductor, is a native of Wichita, Kansas. He earned both a Bachelor of Music in Wind Conducting/Music Journalism and a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from Wichita State University. While at WSU, Mr. Ricker served as an Undergraduate Conducting Assistant to Dr. Victor Markovich and a Graduate Assistant Conductor to Dr. Mark Laycock. From 2016 to 2019, Ricker served as the Director of Bands and Instrumental Music at Cowley College, where he helped to establish the Tiger Beat Pep Band and to develop a new scholarship structure. In 2019, Mr. Ricker arrived at K-State to begin work toward his Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction. His research interests include LGBTQIA+ issues in music and both music history and music appreciation pedagogy.
The KSUSO is Kauffman Bound!
What began as a performance on the Anderson lawn has grown into a season of Dreams. On Thursday, February 17th, the Kansas State University Symphony Orchestra will be featured in its debut performance in Kansas City's Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. The KSUSO will be joined in concert by area high school students for some side-by-side playing along with the K-State choirs, jazz, and band programs. Following their performance, the KSUSO will spend Friday, February 18th, touring and performing in Kansas City area schools.
Cats' Cupboard
In 2020, before the transition to online teaching because of COVID-19, 38.7% or almost 40% of surveyed participants at K-State report food insecurity, consistent with national trends.
The Cats' Cupboard Initiative is a group of students, teachers, staff, and community members working together to promote food security at K-State. They offer immediate food access through their on-campus food pantry, as well as education and engagement opportunities. All K-State students and staff have access to Cats' Cupboard.
The vision of Cats' Cupboard is to prevent food insecurity from being a barrier to student success. In order to do this, they build awareness and the capacity of the K-State campus community to address this challenge from a holistic perspective. A pantry with healthy and accessible food is essential, but they do not limit their vision to operating the pantry. Cats' Cupboard strives to create ties with K-States's academic programs as they provide an active learning place for many disciplines that work directly with the issue of food security. This collaborative effort of student life and academia will lead the way for practicing real change and enhancing K-State’s land-grant mission.
The Kansas State University School of Music, Theatre, and Dance combines engaged classroom learning with hands-on creative opportunities that inspire fresh thinking and unlimited growth. The school’s three programs each boast expert faculty with performance and industry experience. Whether you want to perform on stage, record in a studio, teach in a classroom, or take charge behind the scenes, you’ll find your creative home at K-State.