Artistic Director

Key Chorale is pleased to announce the appointment of Joseph Caulkins as its new Artistic Director and Conductor. He was first introduced to Sarasota audiences in 2006 as conductor of four memorable performances of Orff’s Carmina Burana, featuring dancers of the Sarasota Ballet of Florida, the voices of Key Chorale, and the Southwest Florida Symphony (Fort Myers).

Throughout his career, our young Maestro has been taking music to audiences in new and unexpected ways through creative programming, exciting collaborations, educational outreach, and impassioned conducting.

In addition to Key Chorale, Mr. Caulkins is also Associate Conductor and Director of Choruses with the Southwest Florida Symphony. During his six seasons in Fort Myers, he has conducted on all five of their concert series from classical to pops, led the chorus on a tour to England, France, Switzerland, and Germany in 2006, and founded the Stained Glass Series now in its sixth year.

Highlights of this season include leading the Southwest Florida Symphony in collaboration with the Juilliard Opera Center in performances of Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro and The Tender Land by Aaron Copland, conducting the annual Holiday Pops and Messiah performances, Young People’s Concerts exploring the works of Beethoven, Estero Concerts-in-the-Park, and leading the 4 concert Stained Glass Series, featuring performances of Vivaldi’s Gloria and John Rutter’s Requiem.

In addition to conducting, Joseph will prepare Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, Resurrection, Faure’s Requiem, and Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy and Ninth Symphony, and give pre-concert lectures for the Charlotte and SWFL Symphonies. Performances this season with Key Chorale include Florida premieres of The Celestial Country by Charles Ives and André Campra’s rarely heard Requiem.

Last season Maestro Caulkins conducted Howard Blake's theatrical Benedictus in only its fourth U.S. performance, Handel’s recently discovered Gloria, rarely heard works of Telemann, and a re-creation of Handel’s first London performance of Messiah. Recent Florida premieres include Nocturnes by Lauridsen, Chilcott’s A Little Jazz Mass, Libby Larsen’s The Ballerina & The Clown, and Jonathan Willcock’s Snow White. Comfortable with music from classics to pops, Mr. Caulkins has led concerts with various orchestras and has conducted for pop artists Ralna English and Kenny Rogers.

Prior to coming to Florida, Mr. Caulkins was conductor of the Bach Chamber Choir & Orchestra (Rockford, IL) and directed the St. Procopius Chamber Orchestra and Choirs at Benedictine University (Lisle, IL). Joseph was twice selected to participate in the prestigious Oregon Bach Festival Conducting Master Class with Helmuth Rilling and was a semifinalist for the 2004 and 2006 National Conducting Institute with the National Symphony Orchestra.

Each summer Joseph leaves behind his baton and tuxedo, picks up his ice ax and crampons, and heads for the mountains. He has climbed over 70 peaks throughout the United States including summits in Colorado, Wyoming, North Carolina, and Washington's Northern Cascade Range including Forbidden Peak, Mount Baker, and Mount Rainier. He has also climbed in the French and Swiss Alps including the 15,776 foot Mt. Blanc, Western Europe's highest mountain.