Gary Gackstatter

Gary Gackstatter (b.1959) is an active artist, composer, conductor, performer and teacher, and is currently in his first year of teaching Instrumental Music at St. Louis Community College at Meramec in Kirkwood, MO. Prior to coming to Missouri, Gackstatter has built and maintained outstanding music programs in Oklahoma and Kansas public schools (1981-94), at Southwestern College (1992-06) and Cowley College (1990-2007)in Kansas and has also directed bands at Wichita State University (Fall 06-Spring 07). He is a 2006 Kansas Governor’s Arts Award recipient for Individual Multi-genre Artist.

He is directly responsible for many regional art events including symphonic debuts, internationally known guest artists, and projects combining multiple art forms. His published compositions are performed internationally and his vision to combine the various arts genres in performances has gained national attention. Gackstatter has arranged music and performed with: John McCutcheon, Tom Chapin, John Gorka, Barbara Higbie, Rob Faust, Paul Winter, Kansas and Three Dog Night. He has premiered works by Elmer Bernstein (To Kill A Mockingbird and Great Escape) and Eugene Friesen (Grasslands and Carl Sandburg’s ‘Prairie’) with the Paul Winter Consort. Other guest artists Gackstatter has worked with include: Howard Levy, Darol Anger, Michael Martin Murphy, Phillip Aaberg, Cherish the Ladies, and many others.

In addition to his works for band and orchestra, Gackstatter has composed five symphonies, each combining music with various art forms:
“Jacob the Baker”- with author Noah benShea
“The Picture Book Symphony”- with children’s book artist/author M.B. Goffstein
“The Grouse Creek Symphony”- with landscape artist Mark Flickinger
“The Cartoon Symphony”- music written for silent cartoons of Max Fleischer
“The Mask Symphony”- music to accompany Rob Faust’s masked characters

Gackstatter’s artwork has been featured in many galleries and publications and his work was recently featured in the PBS film “Flint Hills: Meditations from Kansas Prairie”. He has recently released a book of his artwork and writings: “Pen and Ink” and has recorded several CDs of original music. In July 2007, Gackstatter's art and music were featured on KAKE-TV with Larry Hatteberg.

Gackstatter holds a BME from Southwestern Oklahoma State University and a MMP from Wichita State University.

 

Conducted the first-ever symphony performances at:

Salina River Festival Wichita Jazz Festival
Walnut Valley Festival Orpheum Theatre

Gackstatter's performance groups have also performed at:

Kansas State University New Orleans
University of Northern Colorado Kansas City Jazz Museum
KMEA Conventions KBA Conventions

Gackstatter has been a guest conductor for:

Wichita Honor Band 5-State Honor Band
Lawton OK Honor Orchestra Wichita Honor Orchestra
Wichita Youth Orchestra KMEA District VI Honor Band
KMEA District VI Jazz Band

ARTIST

People's Choice Award, PrairieFest 2001

Art Shows: Cowley College, Southwestern College, Panhandle State University, Hutchinson, Kansas, Ponca City, Oklahoma and Caldwell, Oklahoma

Annual PrairieFest exhibitor

Illustrator/Cartoonist for new book by Dr. Nick Smith, WSU Music Faculty

Artwork published in Wichita State University alumni magazine

PERFORMER

Gackstatter performs regularly on guitar, bass, flugelhorn, trombone and mandolin, as a solo artist. He also performs as a member of the group 5 Man Trio (all original music)

Performs in Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Georgia

Songwriting Winner, Walnut Valley Festival 1991-1996

Songwriting/Creativity workshops for Walnut Valley Festival and Silverton CO Folk Festival

Radio: National Public Radio, Dr. Demento, High Plains Public Radio feature

Recordings: 2 solo CDs, 5 group CDs, 1997-2004

Winner of the Concerto-Aria Competition, Wichita State University, 1990

ARTS SUPPORTER

Interest in Gackstatter's pen and ink drawings led to the Stone Arch Bridge Tours of Cowley County, one of the most successful touring programs in the state. Well over 2,000 people have taken the annual spring and fall tours since 1997, with Gackstatter serving as tour guide. The tours generate thousands of dollars a year, with all proceeds donated to the Arkansas City Arts Council.

Tours have been featured in Kansas! Magazine, Sunflower Journeys, and many newspapers.

TEACHING

Gackstatter was formerly head of Instrumental Music at Cowley College in Arkansas City, teaching Concert Band, Jazz Band, Music Appreciation and guitar, since 1994. In 2006, he was interim Concert Band director at Wichita State University.

He has conducted the Winfield Regional Symphony at Southwestern College in Winfield since 1992, and has directed the Arkansas City Community Band (the oldest in the state) since 1991.

Contributing writer to: Band Director's Guide, National Public Radio, and The Oklahoma Observer.

EDUCATION

BME, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, 1981
MMP, Wichita State University, 1990