The Rose City Chamber Orchestra (KW principal guest conductor) has been nominated for the first Oustanding Achievement in Classical Music Award as part of the 2008 Portland Music Awards sponsored by Music Spectator Magazine. Other nominees include the Oregon Symphony, James DePriest, Portland Cello Project and Jon Pittman. The awards show is January 28th, 2008.
Highlights of the orchestra’s recent work include a residency by composer Christopher Thomas (this is his film website- he also has a strong background in “legit” composition) including a number of premieres, and a multi-year exploration of the musical arrangements made for the Verein für musikalische Privataufführungen (or Society for Private Musical Performances) under ths supervision of Arnold Schoenberg. The most recent installment in this series was the Schoenberg arrangement of Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde with the American tenor Brennen Guillory and mezzo Alexis Hamilton.
In 2005, the Rose City Chamber Orchestra undertook a major initiative in training young and emerging conductors when the musicians founded the Rose City International Conductor’s Workshop (KW director). In our first three years, the workshop has atttracted students literaly from all over the world, including many who are sure to be stars of the future. The workshop puts a uniquely high emphasis on accompanying and opera skills, regularly inviting professional soloists and singers to work in masterclasses with the student conductors. The Fourth Annual workshop takes place from July 22-27.
The Rose City Chamber Orchestra was founded by, and remains entirely run by, musicians who wanted a group that gave them an opportunity to choose their own musical projects. I’m very, very proud to be associated with them, and very happy that their efforts have been rewarded with a bit of well-deserved recognition. The members of the committee put in hundreds of hours of work every year to keep the orchestra going, a degree of commitment and enthusiasm that’s all too rare today.Listen here to a small excerpt from our most recent concert
Recent Comments