Bio

John Cuk has a varied background as a musician and educator. As a conductor, he’s conducted choral and orchestral ensembles in Europe, South America and the United States. He has performed at such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Marmorsaal, Schloss Mirabell (Salzburg, Austria), Teatrului Național de Operă și Balet ‘Oleg Danovski’ (Constanța, Romania), Kennedy Library (Boston), Música Sin Edad (Buenos Aires, Argentina), Temppeliauki, (Helsinki, FInland) and The International Youth Orchestra Festival (Lucca, Italy). Active in musical theater and opera, he has held positions with Music in the Alps International Festival in Austria, Opera Estate in Rome Italy, Immersion Repertory, Utopia Opera and Dell' Arte Opera in New York, New York, Buck Hill/Skytop Festival in Pennsylvania, Westchester Conservatory's Summer Vocal Music Academy in White Plains, New York, as well as Musical Director for countless musical theater productions both at the high school and college level.

Guest conducting includes Danbury Concert Chorus (CT), Ridgefield Symphony (CT), Chorus and Orchestra of Teatrului Național de Operă și Balet ‘Oleg Danovski’ Constanța, Romania, Orchestra Sinfonica di Bacau, Romania in Italy, Moldova Radio Symphony in Chisinau Moldova, National Chorale's Annual Messiah-Sing-In at Avery Fisher Hall as well as choral festivals for Western Connecticut, Suffolk, Dutchess and Westchester Counties in New York.

Cuk's career in academia spanned 40 years. He has taught at  Scarsdale High School, Somers High School, Middle Schools in Chappaqua, New Rochelle, Rye and at The Anglo-American School in New York. In addition, he retired from his position as the Director of Choirs at Manhattanville College in Purchase, NY in 2018 after 16 collective years there. 

​He is active as a coach, accompanist, organist, pianist, and guest conductor. Cuk performs frequently with singers and chamber musicians and is currently the co-interim organist at St Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Ridgefield , CT. He has been appointed Music Director of the Danbury Concert Chorus in July 2023.

John is a native of New York and has degrees from Manhattanville College and The Manhattan School of Music as well as post graduate work from Westminster Choir College.