Mack Wilberg

Mack Wilberg – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes

Mack Wilberg (born February 20, 1955) is an American composer, arranger, conductor, and choral director best known as Music Director of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. Explore his biography, musical legacy, notable works like his Requiem, and inspiring quotes.

Introduction

Mack J. Wilberg stands among the most influential figures in contemporary choral music. As composer, arranger, conductor, and clinician, he has shaped how choirs around the world conceive of sacred and concert repertoire. Since 2008, he has held the prestigious role of Music Director of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square (formerly the Mormon Tabernacle Choir).

His contributions span original compositions, refined arrangements of hymns and classical works, and large-scale choral-orchestral works such as his Requiem. His artistry fuses tradition, emotional depth, and accessible craftsmanship—earning him a place in the choral canon and hearts of performers and audiences alike.

Early Life and Family

Mack Wilberg was born on February 20, 1955, in Price, Utah, and raised in the nearby town of Castle Dale, Utah. His father, LaMar Wilberg, was part owner of a coal mine, a family business, but tragically died in a mining accident in 1964.

From an early age, Mack displayed musical sensitivity—he began learning piano by ear around age four. His musical inclinations were evident—he would even go to neighbors’ homes to play their pianos when permitted. His mother drove him weekly, sometimes over long distances (40 miles), so he could receive quality music instruction.

As a youth, attending a performance of the Tabernacle Choir deeply impacted him—he later described entering the Tabernacle as “walking into a wall of glorious sound.” These early experiences would come full circle in his later role directing that same choir.

Youth and Education

After high school, Mack Wilberg served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in South Korea, during which he participated in New Horizons, a vocal ensemble composed of LDS missionaries.

Upon returning, he enrolled at Brigham Young University, where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance and composition in 1979.

Wilberg went on to graduate study in choral music at the University of Southern California (USC) Thornton School of Music, where he received both a Master of Music and a Doctor of Musical Arts, writing a doctoral dissertation on works for choir and piano.

These formative years gave him both the scholarly grounding and the performance discipline to excel as a choral musician, arranger, and composer.

Career and Achievements

Wilberg’s professional life bridges academia, composition, choral leadership, and wide influence in sacred music.

Academic and Early Career

From 1984 to 1999, Wilberg served as a professor of music at BYU, directing ensembles such as the BYU Men’s Chorus and the Concert Choir. He was also a member of the American Piano Quartet, touring and commissioning works, and creating arrangements for the group.

Tabernacle Choir Leadership

In May 1999, Wilberg became Associate Director of the Tabernacle Choir and Music Director of the Chorale at Temple Square. On March 28, 2008, he succeeded Craig Jessop to become Music Director of the Tabernacle Choir.

As director, he oversees all musical and creative aspects of the Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square, including concerts, tours, recordings, and the weekly broadcast Music & the Spoken Word. Under his leadership, the choir has continued to expand its repertoire, collaborate with notable soloists, and maintain high standards of performance.

Composition & Arranging

Wilberg is particularly celebrated for his choral compositions and arrangements. Many of his arrangements reimagine hymns, folk songs, and sacred texts with rich harmony, creative textures, and expressive nuance.

One of his signature works is his Requiem, a major work for chorus, orchestra, soprano and baritone soloists, blending Latin, English, and biblical texts. He began composing it in 2006; it premiered in 2007, and was published by Oxford University Press in 2008.

His arrangements have been selected for high-profile occasions. For example, his works have been performed at state funerals of U.S. presidents including Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and George H. W. Bush.

Wilberg’s works are widely published (notably by Oxford University Press) and frequently performed by choirs globally.

Historical Milestones & Context

Wilberg’s contributions must be understood in the context of modern sacred choral music, church music traditions, and expanding expectations for choral programming.

• His ascension to Music Director in 2008 marked continuity and innovation for one of the world’s most famous choirs.

• His Requiem is one of the few recent large-scale, high-profile works in the choral-orchestral tradition composed by a choral director.

• By integrating hymns, folk, and sacred texts with sophisticated arrangement and orchestration, he bridges the boundary between liturgical music and concert choral art.

• His works and leadership have influenced how modern church choirs conceive of repertoire—moving beyond simple hymn settings to ambitious, expressive works that engage performers and audiences alike.

His legacy is part of the evolving narrative of choral music in the 21st century, where skillful arrangement, creative voice-leading, and reverence for text converge.

Legacy and Influence

Mack Wilberg’s influence is felt across multiple domains:

• For choir directors and composers, his arrangements serve as benchmarks of clarity, balance, elegance, and expressive depth.

• For sacred music programs, his works offer bridges between church worship and concert presentation.

• For listeners and audiences, his music often touches emotionally and spiritually—bringing comfort, majesty, and beauty.

• Within his institution, the Tabernacle Choir, he has guided a sustaining tradition into new eras, expanding collaborations with soloists, orchestras, and media outreach.

• His Requiem and other major works contribute to the small but vital modern repertoire of large-scale choral-orchestral works accessible to church-affiliated ensembles.

Choirs worldwide continue to perform his settings of hymns, anthems, carols, and concert works, ensuring that his voice endures in choral repertoires broadly.

Personality and Talents

Wilberg is frequently praised for humility, collaborative spirit, and devotion to service. His work ethic, musical integrity, and personality combine to make him not just a director, but a mentor and exemplar.

He sees music as healing and as a way to bring people together. As he once said:

“I think music — it sounds cliché, but music can be very healing.”

He also said:

“The thing that’s great about singing together is it’s a great way of bringing people together.”

Another insight:

“True excellence is a product of synergy.”

These quotations reflect his philosophy: that excellence is not about individual virtuosity, but about blending voices, working together, and using music to uplift.

Wilberg also engages in outreach beyond the concert hall. For instance, he has regularly conducted an inmate chorus at the Utah State Prison, embodying a principle of giving back through music.

He is known to prize collaboration over ego—valuing the contributions of each performer, conductor, technician, and choir member.

Famous Quotes of Mack Wilberg

Here’s a selection of his notable remarks:

• “True excellence is a product of synergy.”

• “The thing that’s great about singing together is it’s a great way of bringing people together.”

• “I think music — it sounds cliché, but music can be very healing.”

• “From the beginning, music has been the chosen way to express feelings that words alone can’t.”

• “We are always fortunate to have our own sound folks with us that do a great job in ensuring that everybody can hear and the sound is good.”

• “I suppose I write music for people, not for the filing cabinet or the museum.”

• “Usually, all I want is peace and quiet when I’m driving home.”

These comments capture his humility, his sense of community, and his perspective that music is for living, communicating, and healing—not just as artifact.

Lessons from Mack Wilberg

1. Collaboration over ego. Wilberg’s emphasis on synergy teaches that the most moving music often arises when individuals unite, subordinate ego, and serve a shared vision.

2. Service through art. His conducting in prisons, his commitment to sacred repertoire, and his leadership role show how musicians can extend impact beyond entertainment.

3. Bridging the sacred and the artistic. Wilberg’s repertoire demonstrates that church music need not be insular—it can engage aesthetics, craftsmanship, emotional depth, and broad audiences.

4. Lifelong growth. His path—student, professor, arranger, director—shows that a musical life is cumulative, not defined by an early peak.

5. Humility and listening. His quote about letting others conduct his works so he could hear them suggests a capacity to step back, listen, and learn from one’s own music.

Conclusion

Mack Wilberg is a luminary in the world of choral music—a gifted composer, arranger, conductor, and educator whose influence spans churches, concert halls, and communities. His leadership of the Tabernacle Choir, his contributions to the choral repertoire (not least his Requiem), and his commitment to unity and service make him a modern exemplar of musicianship with purpose.

For those who love voice, harmony, spiritual depth, or simply music that touches the spirit, exploring Wilberg’s work is richly rewarding. May his music—and his philosophy—continue to inspire choirs, listeners, and aspiring musicians for generations.