Artistic Director

Ned Kirk, artistic and managing director of the Minnesota Beethoven Festival, is a native of Redding, California, where he received his early musical training. He has performed extensively as a piano soloist and chamber musician. Recent concert engagements have included the Chateau De Gilly, Beaune, France; the Phillips Collection and Polish Embassy in Washington D.C.; the Elvehjem Museum of Art in Madison, Wisconsin; the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities; the Colorado Music Festival; various concerts in California; concerto performances with the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra in Wisconsin; the Minnesota Beethoven Festival; the Estes Park Music Festival; and the Governor's Mansion and Second City Chamber Series in Washington State. Kirk currently has concert projects in various stages of development in California, Illinois, Minnesota, North Carolina, Nebraska, Poland, Japan, Singapore, China and Kenya.

Kirk has collaborated with numerous outstanding musicians, many of whom serve as conductors and principals in major orchestras around the world - Michael Christie, Kevin Kenner, Charles Kavalowski, Glenn Einschlag, Olav Van Hezewijk, Ron Ephrat, Jeffrey Work, David Jones, Lisa-Maree Amos, Daniel Rothmuller and Donald McInnes.

In 2007, guided by the vision of Hugh Miller and with the collaboration of board members Ken Lanik and Julie Smith, Kirk helped create the Minnesota Beethoven Festival; the festival enjoyed a resoundingly successful inaugural season featuring both regional, national and international artists. Kirk is also a founding member of the Ambassador Trio, along with Ray Shows, violin, and Kirsten Whitson, cello. The trio serves as the resident ensemble of the Minnesota Beethoven Festival with the primary mission to act as an educational ambassador within the region and beyond, bringing classical music experiences to audiences of all ages.

From 2002-2004, Kirk served as orchestral pianist for the Colorado Music Festival in Boulder. Over the course of three summers, he performed 25 concerts on piano, harpsichord and celesta including Stravinsky's Petrouchka, Piazzolla's Three Chamber Pieces for piano and string orchestra, a complete baroque program with Michala Petri (recorder), various chamber music concerts, and Saint-Saëns' Carnival of the Animals for two pianos, with his wife, Caroline.

Kirk earned his Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance from the Peabody Conservatory of Music as a student of Walter Hautzig and his Master of Music degree in piano performance from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, studying under Nigel Coxe.  He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano performance as a student of Craig Sheppard at the University of Washington.  Additional piano and chamber music coaches have included Earl Carlyss, Tinka Knopp, Lillian Freundlich, Estela Olevsky, Charles Treger and Yefim Bronfman.

Kirk has been a faculty member at the Marrowstone Music Festival and spent four summers teaching piano masterclasses to students from rural Alaska at the Sitka Fine Arts Institute in Sitka, Alaska.  Before moving to Minnesota in 1999, he served for seven years on the piano faculty at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington.  In addition to his work with the Minnesota Beethoven Festival, Kirk is also an associate professor of piano and chair of the music department at Saint Mary's University in Winona, Minnesota.

Mission Statement
The mission of Minnesota Beethoven Festival is to increase appreciation of classical music and the work of Ludwig von Beethoven through education and the presentation of nationally-and-internationally recognized artists.

Our Vision

• to create an annual series of concerts that exemplify artistic excellence in the classical repertoire.
• to explore the range of Beethoven's work by presenting high-caliber soloists, ensembles and orchestras.
• to provide educational events and activities for K-12 students that focus on the genre of classical music and Beethoven's legacy as a composer.
• to enhance the education of middle school, high school and university musicians through master classes, workshops and lecture/demonstrations with guest artists.
• to reach a broad and diverse audience through educational and public events presented in a variety of locations throughout Winona.
• to build cultural awareness and earn regional, state and national recognition as a premiere summer music festival.

Board of Directors

Hugh Miller, President
Ken Lanik, Vice President
Julie J. Smith, Secretary/Treasurer
Ned Kirk, Artistic & Managing Director

Staff

Holly J. Kellar, Marketing & PR Director
Kirsten "Fluffy" Blake, Production Manager
Justin Carroll, Assistant Production Manager
Richard A. Moe II, Graphic Designer
Brady Lowe, House Manager
Mark Kuroski, Box Office Manager