Producing a big, beloved event like the Concordia Christmas Concert — or any of Concordia’s choral performances — is a challenging feat of organization, creativity, and expertise.
While hundreds of people might be involved onstage or behind the scenes, Wyatt Steinke ’17, associate administrator and manager for choral ensembles at Concordia, can often be found leading the effort to coordinate and promote it all.
In appreciation for that work, the recognized Steinke recently with an .
“I’m so grateful for this award, and I’m so grateful for everyone that makes the work I do possible. There’s nothing in my job that I do on my own. I have so much wonderful support from terrific colleagues and students across campus,” Steinke said. “To borrow a phrase, it takes a village!”
Two of those colleagues are Dr. Joseph Kemper, former conductor of the Concordia Chapel Choir, who nominated Steinke for the award, and Dr. Michael Culloton, director of choral activities and artistic director of the Concordia Christmas Concert, who called working with Steinke one of the highlights of his job.
“Wyatt’s steadfast commitment to Å·ÃÀÊÓƵ through his work with the Concordia choral program makes him one of the best in the business!” Culloton said. “Very few people outside of the music department have any idea of how many students come to Concordia because of his efforts in promoting our concerts, planning our tours, showcasing our music on social media platforms, and on and on.”
Steinke also serves as staff advisor for Concordia’s Vocal Jazz student organization and directs the Concordia Jazz Singers.
He especially loves working with and getting to know the students who perform in Concordia ensembles.
“I’ve learned so much about myself and so many lessons from our students, and I love getting to watch all of the growth that happens for them during their time at Concordia,” Steinke said. “I’m a different person than I was when I started this job, and I owe so much of that positive change to things that I’ve learned from working with our students.”
