Artistic and Managing Director

Ned Kirk, pianist, is a native of Redding, California, where he received his early musical training. For the past 25 years, Kirk has performed extensively as a soloist and chamber musician, and the 2009-2010 concert season includes performances on four continents. In the United States he is appearing on concert series from coast to coast, with recital performances in California, Nevada, Nebraska, Minnesota, Illinois, North Carolina and Florida. Other highlights include concerto engagements with the Minnesota Orchestra and music director Osmo Vänskä at Sommerfest and the Minnesota Beethoven Festival, as well as a concerto performance with the Eau Claire Chamber Orchestra in Wisconsin. Overseas performances include 10 recitals in Kenya, Denmark, France, Hong Kong, and China. For the 2010-2011 season, Kirk will be performing in Germany, Singapore and China, as well as the United States.

Kirk has collaborated with numerous outstanding musicians, many of whom serve as conductors and principles 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.

Since 2007, Kirk has served as artistic and managing director of the Minnesota Beethoven Festival. Now in its fourth season, the festival is dedicated to showcasing the tremendous talent found in the region as well as featuring some of the most important international concert artists of our time including Joshua Bell, Marc-André Hamelin, Branford Marsalis, Thomas Hampson and many others. The festival is also proud to feature the Minnesota Orchestra in two performances each summer.

From 2002-2004, Kirk served as orchestral pianist for the Colorado Music Festival in Boulder, Colorado. 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 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 studied at the Peabody Conservatory of Music, the University of Massachusetts - Amhearst, and the University of Washington. His piano and chamber music coaches have included Craig Sheppard, Walter Hautzig, Nigel Coxe, 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. Visit his website at nedkirk.com.

Board of Directors

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

Advisory Committee

George Bolon
Mary Burrichter
Jerry Grochowski
Dan Hampton
Bob Kierlin
Cindy Telstad

Staff

Caroline Kirk, Marketing & PR Director
Kirsten "Fluffy" Blake, Production Manager
Justin Vann, Assistant Production Manager
Brady Lowe, House Manager
Richard A. Moe II, Graphic Designer
John Short, piano technician

Mission Statement
The mission of Minnesota Beethoven Festival is to increase appreciation of classical music and the work of Ludwig van 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.