SCCYO

 Profiles for the SCCYO conductors, click on the conductor's name for more information.

Mr. Williams was named Music Director and Conductor of the SCCYO in August of 1999. His previous conducting posts include Associate Conductor of the Alton Symphony, Resident Conductor of the Award-winning St. Louis Brass Band, and Music Director/Conductor of the Alton Summer Chamber Series.Mr. Williams holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education from Austin Peay State University, a Master of Music degree in Music Performance from the St. Louis Conservatory of Music, and a Master of Music degree in Conducting from the University of Missouri-Columbia.His current conducting posts include Pops Conductor of the Alton Symphony, Conductor of the Dayspring Festival Orchestra, Conductor of the Young People’s Concert Orchestra at the Symphony Music School, and the Music Director/Conductor of the Sangamon Valley Youth Orchestra. He is on the faculty of the Masterworks Festival in New York and serves as adjunct faculty to Webster University and Lindenwood University.  His professional performing career includes the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (noted performance at Carnegie Hall), the Illinois Symphony, the Joffrey Ballet, Opryland USA, the Moody Blues, the Three Irish Tenors, Burt Bacharach, Dionne Warwick, and Roger Williams. Mr. Williams has recently guest conducted with the Kirkwood Symphony and the Illinois Symphony.   He resides in Wentzville, Missouri with his wife and sons.

Mr. Williams may be reached via email at:  MaestroWSW@msn.com

Leon Burke III is a native St. Louisan. He attended Mc Bride High School and John Burroughs School and holds music degrees from the Oberlin Conservatory and the University of Kansas. Dr. Burke has also been a Fulbright Fellow.

Dr. Burke has served as Conductor/Music Director of the Lawrence Chamber Players, the Hutchinson Symphony, and the McPherson Symphony. He has also been on the faculties of Baker University, Sterling College, Hutchinson Community College, and Webster University.

Dr. Burke is currently active in the local music scene as the Conductor of the University City Symphony Orchestra and Assistant Conductor of the St. Louis Symphony Chorus. He is also the Choir Director at Eliot Unitarian Chapel in Kirkwood. Outside of St. Louis he is the Conductor for the Metropolitan Ballet of Topeka and conducts the Belleville Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. He teaches voice at East Central College in Union, MO and St. Louis University.

Dr. Burke has won the Arts for Life Award for Best Achievement in Musical Direction for his work with Spotlight Theater’s production of Titanic in 2003. Since then, the musicals he has directed for Spotlight Theater (Chicago, Jekyll and Hyde, West Side Story) were honored by Arts for Life by their nomination for Best Musical Production and won him two more nominations for Best Musical Director. This past June he was Music Director for KTK’s production of Little Women and wrote the music for First Run Theater’s Spectrum: an evening of eight ten-minute plays.

Dr. Burke sang the role of Balthazar in Amahl and the Night Visitors with the Midwest Lyric Opera recently and sang a recital at the Sheldon Concert Hall of Broadway music for their Coffee Concert Series. Dr. Burke has conducted concerts with the National Orchestra of Paraguay where he is the Principal Guest Conductor. He also works with several youth orchestras while in South America. Last week he conducted the Nutcracker with the Metropolitan Ballet of Topeka.