Thomas Wikman, Conductor
Mr. Wikman has had an extensive career as a choral and orchestral conductor.
He has conducted hundreds of concerts in repertoire from the Renaissance to
the 20th century, specializing in the large choral/orchestral works of the 17th through
19th centuries. His discography includes numerous CDs, among
them a critically-acclaimed Monteverdi Vespers of 1610.
Wikman is founder and Conductor Laureate of
Music of the Baroque -- a professional
choral and orchestral ensemble which, during his tenure, gave dozens of concerts annually
-- and served as its Music Director for 30 years. He made his debut with the
Houston Symphony in December 1999, conducting four
performances of Handel's Messiah.
From 1974 to 1991, he performed large-scale Romantic and 20th-century repertoire with
two groups: the Elgin Choral Union, and the New Oratorio Singers which he founded.
He explored Renaissance repertoire with his two small professional ensembles, the New Court
Singers and the Tudor Singers.
In May 2002, he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Fine Arts (Honoris Causa) from the
University of Illinois at Chicago for "making an incomparable contribution to the musical
life of Chicago."
As Choirmaster of Chicago's Church of the Ascension, Wikman
has conducted the professional choir in more than a thousand services replete with masterpieces of
sacred music from the year 1000 to the present time.
