FLOWER MOUND HIGH SCHOOL ORCHESTRA

Best Music Direction, and Best Orchestra. Mr. Clink began his study of music as a violist in the Pittsburgh, PA area, and went on to study music  at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music (BME), and the Hartt School (MM). Before moving to TX, he was director of orchestras at Hall and Conard High Schools in West Hartford, CT, where he directed 5 orchestras, including the I Giovani Solisti Chamber Orchestra. While in CT, he also served as a substitute director and/or sectional coach for the Hartt School Community Division Suzuki Orchestras, Connecticut Youth Symphony, Connecticut Doctor's Orchestra, and West Hartford Summer Arts Festival (Pit Orchestra). He helped direct the West Hartford Symphony Orchestra in a collaborative concert with Solisti in 2010, and helped design a collaboration with Solisti and Ballet Theatre Company (BTC) in 2014 based on a marine veteran's experiences teaching dance in Fallujah, Iraq. He took Solisti on performance tours to Italy, Austria, and Montreal/Quebec City. Prior to coming to West Hartford, Mr. Clink was Music Director at Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts, and orchestra director at Barnstable High School in Cape Cod, MA. He also spent 7 summers on staff at the North Carolina Governor's School where he taught viola, music theory/history, directed the string orchestra, and taught a non-music course entitled self and society. Committed to continuing conducting study, he was an active participant in the Rose City International Conductor's Workshop, where he conducted the Rose City Chamber Orchestra, and Waterville Valley Conducting Masterclass with Kenneth Keisler.

 

Mr. Clink enjoys inspiring students to reach ambitious goals in their music-making, and take joy in being part of an ensemble. His students have been accepted to NafME All-National and All-Eastern Honors Ensembles, the National Youth Orchestra (NYO), and in CT consistently represented a significant portion of the CMEA All-Region, and All-State festivals. He was director of the 2017 CMEA Northern Region Honors Orchestra, has presented workshops at YPAS in Louisville, KY, and also served as string sectional coach for the CMEA middle school region honors orchestra. In 2008, he was asked to prepare students to perform as soloists with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra. While in TX, many orchestras under his direction have achieved sweepstakes ratings at UIL, and many of his students have achieved acceptance into TMEA Region and All State honors orchestras.

 

As a violist, Stephen has performed concertos with the West Hartford Symphony Orchestra, and North Carolina School of the Arts Wind Ensemble. He also played with the Simsbury Light Opera, several regional/area orchestras and musical organizations in TX and CT, and played for recording sessions at Firebox 12 (New Haven). He performed in masterclasses for Pamela Frank, and members of the Cavani, Miami, Lark, and Juilliard String Quartets. He has studied viola with Peter Slowik, Steve Larson, Paul Silver, Jodi Levitz, Louise Zeitlin, and members of the St. Petersburg String Quartet.