Theron Kirk was born in 1919 and died October 1999. He is the composer of more than 1,000 published works for chorus, chamber groups, symphony orchestra, vocal solo, organ, carillon, and a one-act opera. The Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Chamber Orchestra and the orchestras of Winnipeg Canada, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Memphis, Detroit, San Antonio and Houston have performed his symphonic works.
Theron Kirk has held the national office of president of the American Choral Directors Association. He has taught as a visiting lecturer in the summer program at the University of Southern California, the University of Illinois, Central Missouri State University College and at the National Music Camp, Interlochen, Michigan, in the University of Michigan Music Division.
Kirk joined the San Antonio College faculty in 1955 and served as chairperson of the music department and director of the chorale, band, and chamber orchestra for many years before his retirement in 1986. After retirement, he became active as a docent at the San Antonio Museum of Art.
His education includes study at Baylor University, Chicago Musical College of Roosevelt University and the Eastman School of Music. His honors include the Orpheus Award by the national music fraternity Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia for “significant and lasting contributions to the cause of Music in America” and the Minnie Stevens Piper Professor Award for teaching excellence in 1975.
Survivors are his wife Carla, three sons Padriac, Kevin, and Sean, two daughters, Laura Reimers and Meaghan Welch, and seven grandchildren.
Material consists of music composed by Theron Kirk (he often used aliases when composing). There are also cassette tapes of performances, photographs, tapes and reels of music performances, music composed by others, correspondence, royalties and contracts, clippings, biographies of Theron Kirk, calendars, music notes, retirement mementos, and certificates.
This collection is housed at UTSA's Main Campus and must be accessed via the John Peace Library Special Collections reading room. To request access, please use the
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There are no known other archival collections created by Theron Kirk at the date of accessioning.
Received from Carla Griffin in May 2008 (Acc. 2008-024).
The collection is in one accession, 2008-024 and was inventoried by Carla Griffin. More detailed processing is not anticipated at this time.
[Identification of item], Theron Kirk papers, MS 277, University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries Special Collections.
The following inventory was provided by the donor, Carla Griffin.