Staff Reports
Columbus native and Indianapolis Symphonic Choir Artistic Director Eric Stark has been named a 2019-2020 Fulbright Scholar.
The honor is part of the prestigious U.S. Fulbright Scholar Program of the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. And it comes in support of his plan to teach, conduct and study in residence during the first half of 2020 at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre, Brazil, according to a news release from the symphonic choir.
“When we teach music and lead choral singing, we are helping to build bridges that unite persons, communities and cultures,” Stark said. “I know that just as important as the perspective and knowledge that I can share will be the experience and learning that others will share with me.
“In this way, this opportunity offers rewards for all involved, including singers and students in Brazil and the United States.”
Stark, son of long-time Columbus community leader Sherry Stark, is a professor of music, director of graduate studies and assistant chair of the school of music at Butler University’s Jordan College of Fine Arts. There he conducts the Butler Chorale, teaches graduate and undergraduate conducting and choral literature, and serves as coordinator of the vocal and choral areas.
The opportunity offers an extension of work Stark has done in other countries including multiple trips to work with top ensembles in Bolivia, Japan and Hong Kong, and aligns with the Symphonic Choir’s mission and robust dedication to outreach and education.
The U.S. Fulbright Scholar Program offers nearly 470 teaching, research or combination teaching/research awards in more than 125 countries. Opportunities are available for college and university faculty and administrators as well as for professionals, artists, journalists, scientists, lawyers, independent scholars and many others.
The Fulbright Program awards approximately 8,000 grants annually.
Stark’s work as artistic collaborator and community leader has been both broad and unique. He has conducted in the Oriental Art Center Concert Hall in Shanghai, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Strathmore Hall in Bethesda, Md., and the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing.
He has made conducting appearances in Greece, Italy, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and Uruguay, and has led choirs on domestic tours in New York City, Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, New Orleans, Orlando and Tampa.
A firm believer in the power of music to connect diverse audiences and enrich lives, Stark has led a revitalized program of innovative educational outreach programs since joining the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir in 2002.
In 2012, Stark served as chorus master for the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show, featuring Madonna, Cee Lo Green, Nicki Minaj and LMFAO. In 2014, Columbus native and then-Gov. Mike Pence presented him with a Sagamore of the Wabash, one of the state’s highest honors.
Locally, he has served as a judge for the past several years of the prestigious Brown Music Awards competition at First Christian Church.
“We are extremely proud that Eric has been selected as a Fulbright Scholar,” said Indianapolis Symphonic Choir Executive Director Liam Bonner. “It is incredibly validating for us as an organization to see him recognized nationally and internationally for his academic and professional achievement, as well as his demonstrated leadership in the field of choral arts, all of which we have been aware of locally during the past 17 years he has spent at the artistic helm.”
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Age: 52
Hometown: Columbus
Education: 1984 graduate of Columbus North High School. Earned bachelor of arts in music from Wabash College in 1988. Earned a master’s (1991) and doctorate (2001) in choral conducting from Indiana University.
Away from music: He is an avid runner. And he also is a volunteer pilot for Angel Flight, a non-profit network of pilots providing free air transportation for those with medical needs.
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