Kimberlie Richter
Kimberlie Richter has enjoyed nine seasons with the Naperville Youth Symphony Orchestra. Mrs. Richter has been living music for over forty years. She started her orchestral performance experience with the Chicago Youth Symphony under the direction of Dudley Powers and then played in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. She received a Bachelor of Music Education from Northwestern University during which she studied bassoon with Willard Elliot and Wilbur Simpson, both of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. She has studied conducting with Dale J. Lonis, Dr. John P. Paynter, Frederick Ockwell and Joseph Glymph. Mrs. Richter also served as Assistant Conductor to Meng-Kong Tham with the Youth Symphony of DuPage.
Mrs. Richter enjoys conducting the NYSO musicians of both the Encore Orchestra and the Philharmonia Orchestra. Some highlighted memories have included Encore’s premiere performances of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5, 2nd mvmt., Holst's The Planets, and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. She was honored to guest conduct the DuPage Symphony Orchestra in a “side-by-side” with the NYSO Encore Orchestra at Wentz Concert Hall. Mrs. Richter conducted the Naperville Chorus at the NYSO performance of the “Hallelujah Chorus.” Most recently, she was instrumental in creating PPE to assist the NYSO organization in implementing a COVID Safe Plan, allowing NYSO musicians to rehearse and perform during the pandemic. She has said, “Shower curtains will never look the same.”
Teaching, coaching and conducting have always been her first love. Mrs. Richter has graduated music performance and music education students from her studio to colleges such as the Eastman School of Music, New England Conservatory, Northwestern University, DePaul University, Indiana University, North Central College, Northern Illinois University, Vanderbilt University, Baylor University and the University of Illinois. Students from Mrs. Richter’s studio have been featured performing the 3rd movement of the Mozart Bassoon Concerto in Bb, K.191 for the Midwest Band Festival in Chicago. She was honored to be the first female guest conductor for the Saitama-Sakae Wind Orchestra.
Mrs. Richter is currently an Adjunct Professor of Music at North Central College where she has taught for twenty-six years. She is a highly respected pedagogist in bassoon technique and collegiate performance preparation. She is blessed to enjoy her wonderful family, with a special shout-out to her beautiful granddaughter Scout, great friends, and teaching and growing the young musicians of today into the artists of tomorrow.