Maestro Thomas Wilkins (Flickr)
Wilkins became the music director of the Omaha Symphony in 2005 a
post that he holds even now. He enjoys numerous working relationships
with orchestras in the United States primarily the Hollywood Bowl
Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra and the Philadelphia Orchestra just to name a few.
At school event in Roxbury, Massachusetts the conductor according to boston.com imparted some advice to a crowd of students. "Wishing without working only leads to disappointment,'' Wilkins
says. "I want you to know yourself. I want you to know what you're built
for.'
'
At the event he said he was trying to reach children and bring them
into the world of classical music that gave him the avenue to become
successful. "I think that to a certain extent young people in general can be
discouraged from participating in classical music because there are so
many entertainment opportunities,'' he says. "My view is to broaden the
ownership of classical music for minorities so the pool gets larger.''
The conductor grew up in the projects of Norkfolk, Virginia and
became interested in his craft at a young age, he was first inspired to
take up the baton when he heard a rendition of the American national
anthem the "Star Spangled Banner."
He received his bachelors degree at the Shenandoah Conservatory of
Music in 1978 and in 1982 he was awarded his masters in orchestral
conducting at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston.
Maestro Thomas Wilkins Speaks About Detroit [YouTube (2:00)]
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