Steve Burk, Organist-Choirmaster

Mr. Burk began his duties at Grace Cathedral in early January of 2002. As Music Director, he is responsible for planning Cathedral worship services, conducting three choirs and the handbell choir, managing the GREAT SPACES Music & Arts Series, and is principal organist.

A native of California, Steve Burk has lived in Lawrence, KS, since 1986, when he came to work for Reuter Pipe Organs as their Vice President for Sales and Marketing. After marrying and starting a family, Steve returned to school where he completed a degree in Music Education with a Minor in Organ Performance from the University of Kansas.

From 1993 to 2001, he taught in public and private schools and was the Director for Youth Music at Trinity Parish, Lawrence. While at Trinity, the children’s choir developed a reputation for excellence such that they were invited to sing in concert at the National Cathedral, Washington DC, and other locations. He has also served churches, synagogues, and a community choir as music director and/or organist in Kansas City, upstate New York, and California.

In addition to his church work, Steve is a clinician and enjoys being the Choral Assistant at Southwest Junior High School, Lawrence, where he works with their 120-voice auditioned choir of 8th and 9th grader students. He recently retired from the Kansas Air National Guard as the Commander of the 190th Maintenance Operations Flight, Forbes Field. Steve is an active member of the Royal School of Church Music in America and the Residential Manager for the King’s College RSCM Summer Course, and is the Kansas Repertoire & Standards Representative for Worship and Music on the Board of the Kansas Choral Directors Association.

He is married to Sally Burk who works at the World Headquarters for Payless ShoeSource, Topeka. They have twin daughters, Katie and Maggie.

Sylvia Hamilton, Assistant Organist

Sylvia Hamilton completed her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in organ performance in 1995 at the University of Kansas where she studied with James Higdon. She was awarded honors for her dissertation, “Catharine Crozier Gleason, Virtuoso Organist: A Documentation of Her Performing and Teaching Career.”

Sylvia holds the B.M. summa cum laude from Augustana College in Illinois, and her M.M. in organ from New England Conservatory in Boston. During a residence in Europe, Sylvia studied organ with Lionel Rogg at the Conservatoire de Genéve, Switzerland, and Louis Robilliard in Lyon, France.

Syliva has been a church musician for over 30 years, and most recently served as organist and choir director at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Topeka, where she directed the adult, children’s, and handbell choirs and served as principal organist.

Since 1996, Sylvia has served as Director and Instructor of Music and Movement with Miss Sylvia, a studio for children infant though age 7. The studio is located at Grace Cathedral and serves over 115 children. She is certified as an early childhood music education specialist through the Early Childhood Music and Movement Association.

Sylvia and her husband, Jim, are the parents of three children, Robert, Anna and John.

Jeremy Manternach, Music Assistant

Jeremy Manternach first sang at Grace Cathedral in the Spring of 2008.  He is currently a choral scholar and director of the Cathedral Gentlemen’s Chorus.  He received his B.A. from Saint John's University/College of Saint Benedict in Minnesota.  He received his Master of Music Education degree at the University of Kansas where he is currently pursuing his PhD.

Previously, Jeremy was a choir director and performer in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.  He spent four years as the Vocal Music Director at Andover High School and two at Apple Valley High School. He also served for two years as the Assistant Artistic Director for the St. John’s Boys’ Choir in Collegeville, MN.  In addition to conducting, Jeremy has been a hired tenor soloist for several church and civic organizations in Minnesota and Kansas. 

In 2006, Jeremy was honored as a recipient of the TOP (Teacher Outstanding Performance) Award from the Anoka-Hennepin School District.  He was also one of three selected to participate in the Minnesota Chorale "Emerging Conductor" program.  He has presented to the Voice Foundation, the Physiology and Acoustics of Singing Conference, the Acoustical Society of America, the Phenomenon of Singing Conference (St. Johns, Canada), the Southwest American Choral Directors Association (SWACDA), the Kansas Music Educators Association (KEMA), and ACDA of Minnesota.  He is a member of MENC, ACDA, and the VoiceCare Network. 

He currently lives in Lawrence, KS with his wife, Anna, and his dog and cat, Bubba and Koshka.

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