Oral History Interview with Dr. Mack Wilberg January 21, 2025

The interview chronicles the life and musical career of Dr. Mack Wilberg, Music Director and Composer. He recounts his upbringing in Emery County, Utah, his early musical aptitude for playing piano by ear at age four, and his formal training in piano and clarinet starting around age six. His education includes degrees from Brigham Young University and the University of Southern California, where he received his Master's and Doctorate. He details his 15 years as a faculty member at BYU, followed by his 25-year tenure with The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, serving as Associate Music Director and then Music Director from 2008 to the present. He also shares formative experiences, including winning the PTA Reflections contest, performing Rhapsody in Blue for the Farm Bureau, and a providential mission to South Korea where he was part of a musical group and performed the Grieg Piano Concerto with the Busan Symphony Orchestra. Wilberg emphasizes the importance of his rural Utah heritage in his compositions, which often incorporate hymns and folk music.