Archer, Iowa — An Archer resident has recently returned from a month-long residency in Vienna, Austria, with the Luther College Symphony Orchestra.
Kellen DeKok of Archer, a sophomore horn player at Luther majoring in economics, is the son of Jeff and Michelle DeKok.
Luther officials tell us their Symphony Orchestra will present their Vienna Residency Homecoming Concert at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 5, in the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall on the Luther College campus in Decorah. Those who are unable to attend in person can view the livestream online at luther.edu/events.
The concert comes after the student performers spent more than three weeks in Vienna, rehearsing, performing, and experiencing music in a city known for its world-class orchestras.
DeKok says he had been looking forward to the Vienna Residency for months and it was partly why he chose to go to Luther. DeKok calls it “absolutely life changing.” He says, “…our time there was incredible. Playing with LCSO in the music capitol of the world was a dream come true. Our final performance in the Wiener Konzerthaus was a great reminder of why I play the horn; the audience’s reception to our music was something I will never forget.”
Conducted by Daniel Baldwin, the Vienna Residency Homecoming Concert will feature a variety of works including Leonard Bernstein’s “Overture to Candide,” Antonín Dvořák’s “Symphony No. 8” in G major, George Gershwin’s “An American in Paris” and Anatoly Lyadov’s “Kikimora, Op. 63.” The event is open to the public with no charge for admission.
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While abroad, DeKok took part in a four-credit course taught by Luther faculty. This year, Martin Klammer, professor of English, and Kathy Reed, Paideia director and instructor in music, led the students through an in-depth study of Angus Robertson’s “The Crossroads of Civilization: A History of Vienna.” Class lectures were paired with experiential visits to important places in Vienna, including the Kunsthistorisches Museum and the Belvedere Palace, and to memorable performances including Brahms’ First and Second Symphonies at the Konzerthaus and “La Boheme” at the Staatsoper.
While music is the heart and soul of the residency, DeKok also experienced some distinctive Viennese traditions—from enjoying goulash and schnitzel for meals, to attending a formal Officers’ Ball at the Hofburg Imperial Palace. Some students even ventured on side trips to Hungary, Slovenia, or Salzburg.
The Luther College Symphony Orchestra is Luther’s largest and oldest orchestral ensemble. The group is made up of more than 80 student musicians, representing a variety of academic disciplines. Many members also sing in a choir, play in a band or jazz ensemble, and form small chamber groups. Every four years since 1977, the student musicians live, practice and perform in Vienna for three weeks during the month of January.
Daniel Baldwin, professor of music, has served as director of orchestral activities at Luther since 1997. As the head of the Music Department, Baldwin conducts Luther College Symphony and Chamber Orchestras, and teaches courses in conducting. He received his formal training in string pedagogy as a teacher in the University of Texas String Project. Before teaching at Luther, Baldwin served as director of orchestral activities at Central Washington University.
