Director

Dr. Rachel Dirks

Dr. Rachel Dirks, Director of Orchestral Studies and Assistant Professor of Music at Kansas State University, is an active conductor, clinician, and educator.  Dr. Dirks holds cello performance degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and Bethel College, and a Ph.D. in music education from the University of Kansas.  As a guest conductor, Dr. Dirks has conducted all-state and regional honor orchestras throughout the United States, including recent appearances in New York, Georgia, Nevada, Kentucky, Oregon, Illinois, and Kansas.  

As a featured clinician, Dr. Dirks has been invited to present conference sessions for the American String Teachers Association (ASTA), the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic, the National Association for Music Education, and the state music education conferences of Texas, Oregon, Colorado, and Kansas. She has made numerous written contributions to journals, books, and online resources, including her upcoming publication in the Oxford Handbook of Care in Music Education.  Dr. Dirks currently serves as chair of the ASTA Health and Wellness committee where she works to further the discussion surrounding mental health and wellbeing in the music classroom. Throughout all of her work, her fundamental goal is to encourage musicians to seek and create community through music. 

Artistic Collaboration Team

Russell Clark

Russell Clark is the current Graduate Teaching Assistant for the KSU Symphony Orchestra and is currently working towards his M.M.E. with an emphasis in orchestral conducting. Prior to attending K-State, Russell worked as the Assistant Director of High School Orchestras in the Lawrence public school district and as a director of the Lawrence Youth Symphony. Russell maintains a small studio of private students on violin and bass, works at various Summer Camps, and plays in community ensembles such as the Lawrence Community Orchestra, the Topeka Jazz Workshop Big Band, and now the Manhattan Symphony Orchestra.

Colby Stevens

Colby Stevens started his professional music education at Snow College in Utah. He studied oboe under Luca Florin; conducting under Dr. Michael Huff, Dr. David Fullmer, and Luca Florin; and music history under Dr. Brent Smith. This is where Colby began performing with community orchestras, as well as conducting collegiate ensembles and community chamber ensembles. Colby received his Bachelor of Music from Snow College in 2022. Colby is currently at Kansas State University studying oboe under Dr. Alyssa Morris, conducting with Dr. Rachel Dirks, and music history under Dr. Craig Parker. He enjoys playing with various community orchestras in Kansas. Colby enjoys archery, hiking, tennis, backpacking, longboarding, and reading in his spare time. Some of his favorite composers are Beethoven, Grainger, Mahler, and Copland. He is a firm believer that music is a reflection of culture and loves to show that in his music.

Alan Bell

Alan Bell is a graduate student at Kansas State University, pursuing a Master’s of Music with an emphasis in composition. In addition to his composition related coursework, he is studying orchestral conducting and piano performance. Alan’s musical interests and endeavors span a wide variety of genres and activities, including film scoring, composing for the concert hall, jazz performance, music production, and piano pedagogy. As a composer of film scores, he has been involved with several independent short films, many of which were selected for participation in film festivals in Germany, Spain, Peru, and Colombia. He aspires to pursue an active career as a composer, as well as form an ensemble dedicated to the recording and performance of new concert music and music for film and media. As an educator, Alan strives to inspire joy and a fascination for music in students of all ages.

Andrew Bell

Andrew Bell is a musician and educator from Manhattan, KS, who holds a deep passion and appreciation for music in all of its facets. His musical background is diverse, and his formation has been shaped by a mix of hands-on experience and academic training. He completed his undergraduate degree at Universidad de la Sabana, in Bogotá, Colombia, where he resided for many years and was exposed to new musical perspectives, many of which continue to influence his work. Currently, he is a graduate student in Music Composition at Kansas State University, expecting to graduate in the spring of 2023. He teaches music to beginning students at a local academy and provides private instruction to other musicians in the community. Apart from composition, Andrew studies orchestral conducting and jazz guitar.

Board of Directors

Rachel Dirks & Segen Chase - Co-Presidents
Russell Clark - Secretary
Kay Lloyd - Treasurer
Alan Bell Sr.
Sonder Crane
Todd Crane
Colby Stevens
Kristen Toll

Contact

mhksymphony@gmail.com