Welcome!
Make your first stop Ken's blog, A view
from the podium, two-time Gramphone
Magazine Blogwatch Blog of the month,
and one of the 25 most popular classical
blogs in the world *
Make your first stop Ken's blog, A view
from the podium, two-time Gramphone
Magazine Blogwatch Blog of the month,
and one of the 25 most popular classical
blogs in the world *
| Kenneth Woods, conductor |
“Playful brilliance...”
Austin American Statesman
“Brimming with personality, affection and freshly
imagined drama...”
Washington Post
“A conductor with true vision and purpose...”
Peter Oundjian, Music Director, Toronto Symphony
Austin American Statesman
“Brimming with personality, affection and freshly
imagined drama...”
Washington Post
“A conductor with true vision and purpose...”
Peter Oundjian, Music Director, Toronto Symphony
Kenneth Woods' collaborations
include
include
Principal Guest Conductor
Orchestra of the Swan
Regular Guest Conductor
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Principal guest Conductor-
Rose City Chamber Orchestra
Former Music Director-
Oregon East Symphony and Chorale
Critics call it "now certainly the best
rural symphony orchestra in North
America"
Orchestra of the Swan
Regular Guest Conductor
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Principal guest Conductor-
Rose City Chamber Orchestra
Former Music Director-
Oregon East Symphony and Chorale
Critics call it "now certainly the best
rural symphony orchestra in North
America"
The latest concert reviews-
"Under Kenneth Woods I was enthralled
from beginning to end due to his
diligence over perfect pacing and
dynamic contrasts... Fantasia on a
Theme by Thomas Tallis announced
another musical genius, Vaughan
Williams...Both works received
superlative performances again due to
Woods’s motivational abilities and his
willing players...and an ability to hold the
line in the poetic statement enshrined in
this magical work ....Variations on a
Theme of Frank Bridge is an early work
but one of Britten’s most endearing...a
varied stream of musical inspiration.
Woods bought out every facet of this
virtuoso score...an evening of
transcendentally beautiful playing by
Orchestra of the Swan under the inspired
direction of Kenneth Woods."
Classical Source, March 1, 2012
"Speeds were consistently well-chosen,
not too fast in the first movement's 6/8
Vivace (exposition repeat taken) to give
a spring to the step, forward-moving in
the Allegretto, well-integrated between
the scherzo and trio and fully energised
in the finale. Of particular interest were
the natural balances between strings and
woodwind, the latter not having to strain
to be heard and the bass line frequently
clarified by not having to struggle to be
heard over the brass. Woods paid
special care to dynamics, in the scherzo
achieving a genuine diminuendo to ppp
before the reprise of the Presto section
and, at the other end of the spectrum, an
impressive fff at the finale's culmination.
Fortunately this Gala concert – with the
Duchess of Cornwall, the NQHO's
Patron, present – was recorded."
Classical Source, November 4, 2010
“Mahler of quite exceptional quality. On
Friday at the Townsend Hall, in Shipston,
we were treated to a concert of quite
exceptional quality, entitled ‘Essential
Mahler’ in which the Orchestra of the
Swan was joined by contralto Emma
Curtis, tenor Brennen Guillory and
baritone David Stout, all experienced
international singers. The performance
was conducted throughout by the
orchestra’s principal guest conductor,
Kenneth Woods, a man of great and
varied musical talent."
Stratford Herald, November 25, 2010
"Under their charismatic conductor
Kenneth Woods, they gave an inspired
performance of one of Schumann’s
finest works for orchestra, his Manfred
Overture. The composer, mentally
disturbed himself, was ideally placed to
portray Byron’s tragic hero. The
performance was deliberately nervy and
fevered, with plenty of dramatic tension,
and the frenetic string playing contrasted
sharply with the chorale-like wind chords
towards the end. The orchestra exuded
warmth in their rendering of Brahms’
Fourth Symphony. The descending
motives of the opening, echoed near the
end of the great Passacaglia Finale were
beautifully shaped. The bumptious
Scherzo movement, with its jolly
interjections from the triangle was fluent,
yet exciting. The Finale itself was imbued
with some lovely phrasing, a careful
pointing out of the contrapuntal niceties,
and, after some effective tension and
release in dynamics, concluded with a
great climax."
Surrey Advertiser, July 6, 2010
"Under Kenneth Woods I was enthralled
from beginning to end due to his
diligence over perfect pacing and
dynamic contrasts... Fantasia on a
Theme by Thomas Tallis announced
another musical genius, Vaughan
Williams...Both works received
superlative performances again due to
Woods’s motivational abilities and his
willing players...and an ability to hold the
line in the poetic statement enshrined in
this magical work ....Variations on a
Theme of Frank Bridge is an early work
but one of Britten’s most endearing...a
varied stream of musical inspiration.
Woods bought out every facet of this
virtuoso score...an evening of
transcendentally beautiful playing by
Orchestra of the Swan under the inspired
direction of Kenneth Woods."
Classical Source, March 1, 2012
"Speeds were consistently well-chosen,
not too fast in the first movement's 6/8
Vivace (exposition repeat taken) to give
a spring to the step, forward-moving in
the Allegretto, well-integrated between
the scherzo and trio and fully energised
in the finale. Of particular interest were
the natural balances between strings and
woodwind, the latter not having to strain
to be heard and the bass line frequently
clarified by not having to struggle to be
heard over the brass. Woods paid
special care to dynamics, in the scherzo
achieving a genuine diminuendo to ppp
before the reprise of the Presto section
and, at the other end of the spectrum, an
impressive fff at the finale's culmination.
Fortunately this Gala concert – with the
Duchess of Cornwall, the NQHO's
Patron, present – was recorded."
Classical Source, November 4, 2010
“Mahler of quite exceptional quality. On
Friday at the Townsend Hall, in Shipston,
we were treated to a concert of quite
exceptional quality, entitled ‘Essential
Mahler’ in which the Orchestra of the
Swan was joined by contralto Emma
Curtis, tenor Brennen Guillory and
baritone David Stout, all experienced
international singers. The performance
was conducted throughout by the
orchestra’s principal guest conductor,
Kenneth Woods, a man of great and
varied musical talent."
Stratford Herald, November 25, 2010
"Under their charismatic conductor
Kenneth Woods, they gave an inspired
performance of one of Schumann’s
finest works for orchestra, his Manfred
Overture. The composer, mentally
disturbed himself, was ideally placed to
portray Byron’s tragic hero. The
performance was deliberately nervy and
fevered, with plenty of dramatic tension,
and the frenetic string playing contrasted
sharply with the chorale-like wind chords
towards the end. The orchestra exuded
warmth in their rendering of Brahms’
Fourth Symphony. The descending
motives of the opening, echoed near the
end of the great Passacaglia Finale were
beautifully shaped. The bumptious
Scherzo movement, with its jolly
interjections from the triangle was fluent,
yet exciting. The Finale itself was imbued
with some lovely phrasing, a careful
pointing out of the contrapuntal niceties,
and, after some effective tension and
release in dynamics, concluded with a
great climax."
Surrey Advertiser, July 6, 2010
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Listen to Ken's most recent radio
chats and TV features on the BBC,
Public Television and NPR
A short film about the music of Hans Gal
narrated by Ken, made by Goodmedia.
Click here for highlights from BBC Radio
3's "CD Review," in which host Andrew
McGregor and guest Chris de Souza
discuss Ken's recording of Gal 4 and
Schumann 2
Read Ken's guest blog on the
Gramophone Magazine website:
"Schumann and Gal are
'more-than-meets-the-eye' composers"
Ken helps Julian Lloyd Weber rediscover
"The Cellists that Time Forgot" on BBC
Radio 3.
Highlights from the recent broadcast of
Ken and Orchestra of the Swan's live
performance of Gal's Symphony no. 3 on
Performance Today.
A review of Ken's new recording of
Schumann and Gal 3rd Symphonies on
NPR's All Things Considered. Lisen to
the feature here.
Kenneth Woods and Sir Nicholas Kenyon
debate Mahler on BBC Radio 4's Today
Programme
Kenneth Woods on NWPR discussing
his OES tenure and the joys of building
an orchestra here.
Kenneth Woods talks Mahler and the
OES on Morning Edition, here
TV profile from Oregon Art Beat on the
Rose City International Conductor's
Workshop, Ken Woods founder and
director, here
Ken and members of the OES talk about
what makes the Best Damn Redneck
Orchestra on Earth so special with David
Stabler from The Oregonian here
Highlights of Ken's appearances on
BBC Radio 3's Discovering Music
with the BBC National Orchestra of
Wales
Chopin Piano Concerto no. 1 with Piers
Lane
Nielsen Flute Concerto with Sharon
Bezaly
Haydn Trumpet Concerto with Philippe
Schartz
chats and TV features on the BBC,
Public Television and NPR
A short film about the music of Hans Gal
narrated by Ken, made by Goodmedia.
Click here for highlights from BBC Radio
3's "CD Review," in which host Andrew
McGregor and guest Chris de Souza
discuss Ken's recording of Gal 4 and
Schumann 2
Read Ken's guest blog on the
Gramophone Magazine website:
"Schumann and Gal are
'more-than-meets-the-eye' composers"
Ken helps Julian Lloyd Weber rediscover
"The Cellists that Time Forgot" on BBC
Radio 3.
Highlights from the recent broadcast of
Ken and Orchestra of the Swan's live
performance of Gal's Symphony no. 3 on
Performance Today.
A review of Ken's new recording of
Schumann and Gal 3rd Symphonies on
NPR's All Things Considered. Lisen to
the feature here.
Kenneth Woods and Sir Nicholas Kenyon
debate Mahler on BBC Radio 4's Today
Programme
Kenneth Woods on NWPR discussing
his OES tenure and the joys of building
an orchestra here.
Kenneth Woods talks Mahler and the
OES on Morning Edition, here
TV profile from Oregon Art Beat on the
Rose City International Conductor's
Workshop, Ken Woods founder and
director, here
Ken and members of the OES talk about
what makes the Best Damn Redneck
Orchestra on Earth so special with David
Stabler from The Oregonian here
Highlights of Ken's appearances on
BBC Radio 3's Discovering Music
with the BBC National Orchestra of
Wales
Chopin Piano Concerto no. 1 with Piers
Lane
Nielsen Flute Concerto with Sharon
Bezaly
Haydn Trumpet Concerto with Philippe
Schartz
* Marc van Bree, Orchestras and the
New Media
New Media