Prior to his graduate work, Zielke received a BME from Friends University (Wichita, KS) and taught middle and high school choral music in the Kansas public schools. Following his graduate work, Zielke was the associate director of choirs at the University of Arizona where he conducted the Symphonic Choir and worked as a colleague with the late Dr. Maurice Skones.
Zielke is a frequent clinician and guest conductor, and has recently worked in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, California, Nebraska, Missouri, Nevada, and Kansas. He also guest conducted the Academic Orchestra of the University of Stuttgart and the University of Tübingen Chamber Singers in Tübingen, Germany. Choirs under his direction have appeared at state, regional, and national conference, as well as the Festival of Light in Bulgaria, and the Prague Musica Ecumenica concert series, Next fall, Zielke will guest lecture and conduct at Sichuan Conservatory of Music, in Sichuan Province, China.
Zielke is the current past-president of the Oregon Music Educators Association, and is a contributing editor to Walton Music. He is also the founder and music director of the Corvallis Repertory Singers, a semi-professional ensemble devoted to exemplary performances of the finest in choral literature and serves as the Director of Music at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Corvallis. Despite an exhilarating schedule, he enjoys playing with his children, watching college football, and gardening with his wife Nicola. |
