Kirke Mechem (16/08/1925), an American composer; born in Wichita, Kansas, USA. His first opera, Tartuffe, with nearly 400 performances in six countries, has become one of the most popular operas written by an American. He has composed more than 250 works in almost every form. In 2002, ASCAP registered performances of his music in 42 countries. He is often called the "dean of American choral composers".