Dr. Erik N. Janners

Director of Music

Erik Janners, director of music at Marquette University, is internationally recognized as a conductor, scholar and performer. He holds degrees in percussion and conducting from Alma College, the University of Utah and the University of Alabama. In addition to his duties with Marquette, Dr. Janners serves as music director and conductor of the Knightwind Ensemble, a community wind ensemble in the Milwaukee area. Prior to his arrival at Marquette University, Dr. Janners was director of bands at Saint Xavier University in Chicago  and at the University of Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada. His achievements in these positions have included the founding of the Marquette University Wind Ensemble and the University of Regina Wind Ensemble, as well as the creation of the Saint Xavier University Conducting Workshop. He also served as director of the University of Regina Honor Band, the University of Regina Conducting Symposium and the Saint Xavier University Conducting Workshop.

As director of music at Marquette University, Dr. Janners conducts the wind ensemble, jazz ensemble and pep bands. He also supervises the overall music program at Marquette. He was the recipient of the 2007 Excellence in Teaching Award from Saint Xavier University and has received the National Band Association’s “Award of Excellence” three times. He has presented clinics on performance psychology at the State Music Conferences of Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey and Alabama, and the Midwest Clinic in Chicago. Dr. Janners has served as conductor of the National Band Association College All-Star Band on three different occasions, and has served on the conducting staff at the Blue Lake Fine Arts camp in the summers. He has traveled since 2016 to Italy, Austria, Germany and Latvia to conduct international groups of musicians in amazing settings, including the Basilica at Montecassino, Italy, and Mozart's own church in Salzburg, Austria.

As a scholar, Dr. Janners has had numerous articles published in the Instrumentalist magazine, as well as in Canadian Winds, the national periodical of the Canadian Band Association, and by the international society IGEB. His research interests include wind band literature, conducting pedagogy and technique, and performance psychology in its application to the field of music. He is a member of the National Band Association, College Music Society, The World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE), the College Band Director’s National Association (CBDNA), the Conductor’s Guild and the International Society for the Research and Promotion of Wind Music (IGEB).

Dr. Mark Konewko

Carillonneur and Chorus Director

Mr. Mark Konewko has been carillonneur at Marquette since 1999. He began as interim chorus director in fall 2010. He holds an MBA from Cardinal Stritch University as well as a master's of music degree in Organ Performance from the American Conservatory of Music. He studied carillon at the University of Utrecht in Amersfoort and has played worldwide in places such as the Netherlands, Belgium and France.

In addition to being carillonneur at Marquette, he has an extensive back ground in vocal music and choral conducting, and he teaches courses in music appreciation, business of music, carillon discovery and music technology. He also serves as director of music at Mother of Good Counsel Catholic Parish in Milwaukee.

Dr. Joel Flunker

Assistant Director of Instrumental Music

Dr. Joel Flunker recently returned to his native Wisconsin after more than 20 years in the United States Coast Guard Band. As a member of the Coast Guard Band, Dr. Flunker had the opportunity to perform in virtually every state, Japan and Taiwan. In addition to performing with and having the opportunity to conduct one of the finest concert bands in the world, Dr. Flunker has performed with ensembles as diverse as the New York Philharmonic and the Hartford Jazz Orchestra. He has been a full-time music educator at the elementary, high school and university levels.