Stephen Clink

Adjunct Instructor of Music

Academic Areas: Chamber Orchestra, Viola

Contact

Phone: (940) 898-2500
Email: stephenclink@live.com 

Degrees

MM in Music Education, Hartt School
BM in Music Education, Oberlin Conservatory of Music

Profile

Stephen Clink is a committed musician and educator. He began his study of music as a violist in the Pittsburgh, PA area, and went on to study music education at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music (BME), and the Hartt School (MM). He has recently been director of orchestras at Hall and Conard High Schools in West Hartford, CT, where he directed 5 orchestras, including the I Giovani Solisti Chamber Orchestra. While in CT, he also served as a substitute director and/or sectional coach for the Hartt School Community Division Suzuki Orchestras, Connecticut Youth Symphony, Connecticut Doctor's Orchestra, and West Hartford Summer Arts Festival (Pit Orchestra). He also helped direct the West Hartford Symphony Orchestra in a collaborative concert with Solisti in 2010, and helped design a collaboration with Solisti and Ballet Theatre Company (BTC) in 2014 based on a marine veteran's experiences teaching dance in Fallujah, Iraq. He took Solisti on performance tours to Italy, Austria, and Montreal/Quebec City. Prior to coming to West Hartford, Clink was Music Director at Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts, and orchestra director at Barnstable High School in Cape Cod, MA. He also spent 7 summers on staff at the North Carolina Governor's School where he taught viola, music theory/history, directed the string orchestra, and taught a non-music class entitled self and society. Committed to continuing conducting study, he was an active participant in the Rose City International Conductor's Workshop, and Waterville Valley Conducting Masterclass with Kenneth Keisler.

Clink enjoys inspiring students to reach ambitious goals in their music-making, and take joy in being part of an ensemble. His students have been accepted to NafME All-National and All-Eastern Honors Ensembles, and in CT consistently represent a significant portion of the CMEA All-Region, and All-State festivals. He has also served as string sectional coach for the CMEA middle school region honors orchestra, and managed the CMEA northern region high school orchestra on two occasions. In 2008, he was asked to prepare students to perform as soloists with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra.

As a violist, Stephen has performed concertos with the West Hartford Symphony Orchestra, and North Carolina School of the Arts Wind Ensemble in a reading/recording session. He performed in masterclasses for Pamela Frank, and members of the Cavani, Miami, Lark, and Julliard String Quartets. He has studied viola with Peter Slowik, Steve Larson, Paul Silver, Jodi Levitz, Louise Zeitlin, and members of the St. Petersburg String Quartet.

In the summer of 2014, Clink relocated to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and will assume the role of director of orchestras at Flower Mound High School. He is really looking forward to being involved with FMHS, TWU, and all that Texas has to offer with music education.