By Andy Bartlett
When Dr. Dwight Jilek arrived in Bemidji last fall with his wife, Alyssa, and their three children, he was prepared to shoulder a Bemidji State University choral legacy that was eight decades in the making.
Since 1937, when Carl O. Thompson was hired to teach vocal music and music theory, BSU has had only four directors of choral music — Thompson, Paul Brandvik, Brad Logan and now Jilek.
After high school in Dickinson, N.D., Jilek weighed a walk-on role with the North Dakota State University football team against a music scholarship from Concordia College in Moorhead — and chose music. That path led him to Northfield High School, where he spent six years as choral director, and then to graduate school at Michigan State University and the University of North Texas before coming to Bemidji.
We sat down with Jilek to get his perspective on a whirlwind first year and learn what comes next for the Bemidji Choir.
Question: How did you find out about this job at BSU?
Answer: I was familiar with the Bemidji area through my time at Concordia and at Northfield. I knew of the great history here at Bemidji State and that it is a beautiful place to live. It was also very close to our family.
Q. This past year, the choir has participated in activities all over Bemidji, and you’ve visited high schools across the state as a guest conductor. What made it such a busy year?
A. Honestly, sometimes all it takes is a question, and the more questions I’ve asked, the more people have said “yes.” That’s a clear strength of the Bemidji community. That support is not necessarily present in other places, and it’s what is exciting about being here.
Exploring Minnesota, I built on the relationships I had as a high school teacher and have made many new friends. What’s most important to me during these visits is to offer help and an extra set of ears to help students succeed. I want these kids to keep singing when they go to college and into their communities.
Q. How did the choir’s spring tour go?
A. It was a great first-year tour. We were able to perform at some of the more beautiful venues in Minnesota, and that is an excellent educational opportunity for the students. It gives them lifelong memories to then take with them when they graduate. It’s powerful when a group of singers has to put up a show every night and has to prepare physically and mentally for a performance. That’s professionalism, and that’s one of the main reasons why we tour.
Q. What’s coming up next for you and the choir?
A. We’ll be celebrating the Bemidji Choir’s 80th anniversary with a reunion choir during Homecoming, and Latvian composer Ēriks Ešenvalds will be in residency at Bemidji State in March. He will participate in a Bemidji State Honor Choir Festival featuring his music.
In the spring, I will conduct at Carnegie Hall with MidAmerica Productions. I will be leading the New England Symphony in a masterwork performance of Poulenc’s “Gloria.” We are seeking funding for the Bemidji Choir to be the core ensemble. We are also scheduled to tour the Baltic States.
Q. Has this job been what you’d hoped it would be when you came here in August?
A. I am thrilled for where we are and what we have accomplished and with the hope and energy we have for the future. My colleagues here have been great. They’re the sort of colleagues you want to be around — ones who can watch the Vikings game with you and at the same time discuss Brahms. It’s another example of what makes BSU special — that balance of life, all together.