Michael Dicker

Michael Dicker, Bassoonist

Mr. Dicker has earned degrees from UCLA, The University of Michigan, and The Juilliard School where he was the recipient of the Juilliard Alumni Scholarship in Performance. His teachers have included Norman Herzberg, Harold Goltzer, Mitchell Lurie, and Mehli Mehta.

Mr. Dickerís performing career began with the United States Military Academy Band at West Point. He served as Principal Bassoonist with the Wichita Symphony. His European performing career began as bassoonist with the Belgian Radio Symphony in Brussels after which he spent several years in Germany as Associate Principal Bassoon of the Gelesenkirchen Philharmonic. During his years in Europe, Mr. Dicker also performed with numerous ensembles including Dortmunder Oper, Essen Philharmonic, Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Philharmonia Hungarica, and Deutsche Bach Solisten.

Fox Products Corporation, prominent maker of bassoons and oboes, has engaged Mr. Dicker as International Representative and Clinician since 1979. In this capacity, Mr. Dicker has presented clinics throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Japan. Most recently he has performed bassoon service/acoustical clinics in Wels, Austria and in Tulsa, Oklahoma on behalf of Fox.

Mr. Dicker has taught at Wichita State University, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, Musikschule Bochum (Germany), Orvieto Musica (Italy), and Illinois State University. He has presented masterclasses at the International Double Reed Society and in several conservatories and universities throughout the United States, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Japan, Portugal, and Switzerland. Mr. Dickerís former bassoon students currently hold positions in New Mexico State University, Dickinson State University, Moorhead State University, The National Orchestra of Portugal, the Nordwest-Deutsche Philharmonie, and The New York Philharmonic.

Mr. Dicker has been a member of the faculty of the Illinois State University School of Music since 1986. He has performed with the Sonneries Quintet in Europe and Japan and throughout the Midwest United States. Since 1989 Mr. Dicker has served as Principal Bassoonist of the Peoria Symphony Orchestra. He is also Principal Bassoonist of Opera Illinois.

Mr. Dicker is married to Judith Dicker who serves as Principal Oboist of Opera Illinois and is Oboe Instructor at Illinois State University. Their daughter, Erica, is a violinist in the Peoria Symphony. Talia, their younger daughter, is a student of the violoncello and former first chair cellist of Central Illinois Youth Symphony