Mark Sheldon Conducting Internship
History and Program description
In 2003, after a long battle with cancer, beloved KVOD radio host, St. Martin’s singer and assistant conductor and all-around music educator Mark Sheldon passed away. A legacy was established in his memory to be used in part for educational outreach. The Mark Sheldon Conducting Internship was established to fulfill this part of his legacy.
The conducting internship is one of the few, perhaps the only one of its kind in the US. It provides this unique opportunity for college conducting students to conduct a professional choir on an ongoing basis during a concert season. Potential interns go through an application process and the intern is selected by St. Martin’s Artistic Director, Tim Krueger. The intern is expected to attend all rehearsals, assist in rehearsals and conduct when Mr. Krueger is unavailable. Perhaps most unusually, the intern is also assigned at least one piece to conduct in nearly every concert. The intern is warmly welcomed into the St. Martin’s family and builds a rapport with singers and staff, is encouraged to attend St. Martin’s board meetings and serves on the Education and Outreach committee of the board. With all these duties also comes an internship stipend. The expectations are rigorous, but the rewards are immeasurable (see quotes below.)
2024-25 Mark Sheldon Conducting Intern
Anthony Wirtz is currently a dual-master’s student at The Lamont School of Music at The University of Denver studying both vocal performance and conducting. His choral music experience is extensive at almost 30 years – starting all the way back to grade school in Belmond, Iowa. His interest in vocal arts started when he was very young as he comes
from a musical family who would often gather around the piano to sing and harmonize in four-parts. He has been a member of SPEBSQSA (the Barbershop Harmony Society) as well as the Norsemen and Nordic choirs at Luther College, is active in the Lamont Opera program and the Opera Colorado chorus, sings with The Lamont Chorale and Voces Fortes, and has participated in countless choral recitals and honors choral programs interspersed throughout his career. He currently sings with Denver’s St. John’s Cathedral with the Vicars Choir. Along with all his choral experience, he is also an active multiinstrumentalist, composer, and music history/theory enthusiast. Anthony is forever grateful to Timothy Krueger and St. Martin’s Chamber Choir for this incredible intern opportunity.
Past Conducting Interns
- 2023 – 2024 :: Sara Garza, University of Denver
- 2022 – 2023 :: Samuel Sherman, University of Denver
- 2021 – 2022 :: Sheila Melendez, University of Denver
- 2020 – 2021 :: Drew Ritchie, University of Denver
- 2019 – 2020 :: Michael Ballard, University of Denver
- 2018 – 2019 :: Blake Nawa’a, University of Denver
- 2017 – 2018 :: Michael Johnson, University of Denver
- 2016 – 2017 :: Ana Spadoni, University of Denver
- 2015 – 2016 :: Matt Stewart, University of Denver
- 2014 – 2015 :: K. James Howe, University of Colorado, Boulder
- 2013 – 2014 :: Brett Kostrzewski, University of Denver
- 2012 – 2013 :: Taylor Martin, University of Denver
- 2011 – 2012 :: Hannah Wunsch, University of Colorado
- 2010 – 2011 :: Adam Kluck, University of Northern Colorado
- 2009 – 2010 :: Brian Stone, University of Colorado
- 2008 – 2009 :: Jill Schroeder, University of Denver
- 2007 – 2008 :: Ace Edewards, University of Denver
- 2006 – 2007 :: Gabrielle Dietrich, University of Colorado
- 2005 – 2006 :: Heather Kohl, University of Denver
Future Opportunities
The Mark Sheldon conducting internship is ongoing. If you are a conducting graduate student in Colorado, please consider applying for this program. If you are a college choral music professor, or if you know of Colorado conducting students who would be interested, please let them know about this internship.
All inquiries and applications should be directed to St. Martin’s Artistic Director, Tim Krueger.
