Kirke Mechem

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Kirke Lewis Mechem, born August 16, 1925, is an American composer. He graduated from Topeka High School in Kansas in 1943 and was further educated at Stanford and Harvard Universities after WWII.

Although he has written works in many genres, including two symphonies, the bulk of his output involves the human voice. As well as numerous choral works, he has composed an opera (Tartuffe) which has been performed more than 300 times in six countries. Two further operas, The Newport Rivals (after Sheridan) and John Brown are respectively scheduled for performance by Lyric Opera San Diego in 2006 and Lyric Opera Kansas City 2007-8. He has recently completed an opera based on Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice.

His father, Kirke Field Mechem, (deceased), who also graduated from Topeka High, worked for the Kansas State Historical society for many years and wrote several books, as well as numerous poems, some of which his son has since put to music.

[edit] Operas

• Tartuffe
• John Brown
• The Newport Rivals
• Pride & Prejudice (opera)

[edit] Other works

• The Jayhawk, Overture to a Mythical Comedy

[edit] Trivia

While at Topeka High School, Kirke L. Mechem was editor of the school newspaper "World" for the fall of his senior year, as well as Vice President of the Thespians, a member of the Quill & Scroll, and an active participant in the theatrical program, in addition to the family tradition of tennis lettermen. Mechem did not take part in the music program in high school; though he gained rough knowledge of music theory when he was seventeen, which prompted him to take music courses at Stanford, leading to his current occupation.

Kirke Mechem's name has occasionally been mis-spelled "Mecham", though the correct spelling is "Mechem."

Much of this information was obtained through direct correspondence with the subject and examination of his high school yearbooks in the Topeka High Historical Society Room.

For more information, look on the E.C. Schirmer (music publisher) website. They have a biographical sketch and links to other websites as well as a catalog of his works, many of which they exclusively publish.