Music Masters
Dylan Thomas Chmura-Moore, Music Director
Dylan Thomas Chmura-Moore was named Music Director in 2019. He said at the time, “My family and I are overjoyed to join the maritime community of Manitowoc and meet the many partners and friends of the MSO. As the new Music Director, my goal is to connect people. It’s my belief that a symphony is a vehicle of the community, a place for family and friends to congregate, a place to share and feel so that as one community we are enriched. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the wonderful musicians and talented members of the MSO team in this, my first, season. With reverence for the past, I’m humbled to continue the tradition of beautiful music making in our community.”
Dylan is also Music Director of Oshkosh Symphony Orchestra and Associate Professor of Music at University of Wisconsin Oshkosh where he is director of orchestras. Previously, he was director of the Ripon College Symphony Orchestra and has conducted ensembles of Harvard University, New England Conservatory, Longy School of Music, Northeastern University, Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory of Music, and other groups such as Callithumpian Consort and Shivaree Ensemble. He is the author of “A Practical Reference Manual of Tempos for Musicians,” published by Potenza Music.
As an instrumentalist, two notable international appearances include performances at the Internationale Ferienkurse Fur Neue Musik in Darmstadt, Germany, and the Lucerne Festival in Lucerne, Switzerland. Dylan can be heard on the record labels Mode, Summit, EuroArts, Albany, TZADIK, and Accentus. His solo album, Flag, was released by Peer 2 Records.
Dylan was awarded the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was a Paul Collins Wisconsin Distinguished Graduate Fellow at the university and focused his studies on the research and performance of newly composed music. Previously, Dylan studied at New England Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts where he received two Master of Music degrees, one in trombone and the other in conducting. Upon graduation, Dylan was awarded academic honors, a distinction in performance, and the Gunther Schuller Medal, the highest honor awarded by the conservatory. Dylan received the Bachelor of Music degree from Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory of Music. His principal teachers are Norman Bolter, Allen Kofsky, Mark Hetzler, Dwight Oltman, and Charles Peltz.
Dylan is married with two children and dog.
Besides music, he enjoys art, basketball, sailing, being outdoors, and renovating his 1907 home.
Website: dylanchmuramoore.com
Carrie Kulas, Concertmaster
Concertmaster Carrie Kulas has graced the Manitowoc Symphony Orchestra with her superlative leadership and bowing precision since 1992. As the principal violinist, Mrs. Kulas strives to cultivate the best sound that can be achieved for every musical selection.
At age nine, Mrs. Kulas developed an unexpected fondness for what some consider the most human of all instruments, setting aside her clarinet and picking up a bow. The challenges of competition and developing muscle memory heightened her interest. During high school, grieving the tragic loss of her dearest friend, Mrs. Kulas immersed herself in practicing. “I learned how to express myself through the violin music,” she says. Her burgeoning love of playing the violin motivated her to save every dime from her first job to send herself to a six week orchestra camp.
Mrs. Kulas earned her Bachelor of Music Performance from UW-Stevens Point. She credits her success to a number of fine and gifted teachers, including Everett Goodwin, Margery Aber, and Vasile Beluska.
Mrs. Kulas also served as concertmaster for the Green Bay Civic Symphony from 1996 to 2003. She has performed with the Pamiro Opera Company, the Green Bay Symphony, the Clayton Ladue Chamber Orchestra, the St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra. Since 1985, Mrs. Kulas has been teaching violin at the Suzuki Music Academy of Green Bay, and is a former member of the Wausau Area Suzuki Association.
Not only is Mrs. Kulas a strong musical leader, but she also possesses the ability to play in a wide range of styles. Mrs. Kulas’ skills and dedication as a teacher are especially valuable to the MSO as she assists players to navigate the technical hurdles of some very difficult pieces. In addition to joy and passion, Mrs. Kulas also brings a great sense of humor to her work. “The Manitowoc Symphony is truly blessed to have Carrie Kulas as our concertmaster,” says Music Director Wayne Wildman. “I’ve learned so much from Carrie over the years and am proud to have her as my partner in musicmaking.”