Professor of music offers resignation

By Kate Duncan

On March 27, 2008, Richard Tirk announced his resignation. Tirk, an assistant professor of music and the conductor of Bethel’s Wind Ensemble and Chamber Orchestra, has been at Bethel for three years. He has decided to take a position at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa teaching the trumpet full-time.

“It’s exciting because it’s something I’ve been wanting to try since I got my doctorate,” said Tirk about the position. Tirk has both a master’s and a doctorate in trumpet performance, but this is his first opportunity to teach the trumpet full-time.

While Tirk has enjoyed conducting at Bethel College, this job at Luther is closer to his intended career plan. He anticipates having 30 to 35 students at Luther next year.

Since Tirk considers being a good conductor a full-time job on its own, he does not feel like he has the time to also be the trumpet player he wants to be. This job offers him a way to spend his time focusing on the trumpet exclusively.

“These jobs are few and far between. There are maybe five to six jobs like this opening up this year in the whole country,” said Tirk.

This is the reason Tirk is taking a job nine hours away from his wife, who teaches clarinet at Wichita State University. While the distance is daunting for them, he and his wife are confident that they will make it work. They have already begun making plans for him to come home once a month, and he also plans to spend Luther’s January term at home with his wife and cats.

“I have mixed feelings about leaving … I have really great colleagues and great students,” said Tirk. He added that telling his students was the hardest part for him. However, he’s very excited about the opportunity and experience of teaching the trumpet full-time.