| History of the Rose City International Conductor's Workshop |
| About the orchestra |
| In the winter of 2005 the musicians of the Rose City Chamber Orchestra approached their guest conductor Ken Woods to see if he would be interested in starting a new summer institute for young conductors. After Christopher Zimmerman, Chair of Orchestral Conducting at the Hartt School of Music and Benjamin Zander joined the faculty, the first Rose City International Conductor's Workshop attracted applicants from throughout the US and Spain, Germany, Canada, South Korea, Argentina, Mexico and the United Kingdom. The first four-day workshop took place on the University of Portland campus. When Maestro Zander fell ill at the last minute, Raymond Harvey, Music Director of the Kalamazoo Symphony joined the faculty. In 2006 the workshop moved to the campus of Warner Pacific College, in the leafy neighborhood of Portland's Southeast side, and in 2008 to it's current home at Lewis and Clark College. In 2008, the RCICW was the subject of a feature by Oregonian music critic David Stabler, and in 2009, there are plans for a documentary by OPB. Cheered by the success of the workshop, and invigorated by the experience of working with so many talented young conductors, the musicians of the orchestra look forward to a long future for the workshop, and have made it their goal to make the Rose City International Conductor's Workshop one of the finest conductor training programs in the world. |
| The Rose City Chamber Orchestra first came into being in spring of 1998. A small group of musicians, greater Portland community, decided to venture out on their own and establish a small chamber orchestra together. The goal of the musicians in the Rose City Chamber Orchestra was (and continues to be) to achieve the highest quality musical experience to be enjoyed by both performers and community. The "premiere" concert was performed by the orchestra on April 5, 1998 and conducted by Tim Hankewich, former conducting apprentice for the Oregon Symphony, and now Assistant Conductor for the Kansas City Symphony. The "premiere" concert was a huge success, and the Rose City Chamber Orchestra was well on its way to becoming one of the most talked about and highly respected chamber orchestras in Portland. The Rose City Chamber Orchestra is unique because the orchestra is run by the musicians themselves. All members of the Rose City Chamber Orchestra are empowered in all decision-making processes to the extent that each individual wishes to be. Those decisions range from the conductors engaged to the music performed. Everyone has a voice. The orchestra does not have a permanent music director. Each concert features a different conductor, or the orchestra may choose to play without a conductor on repertoire that benefits from the unique communication and intimacy that results from a concert sans chef. When we do have a conductor, the orchestra has been extremely fortunate to engage excellent leaders from across the country. Kenneth Woods was appointed Principal Guest Conductor in May of 2005. |
| -Student Comments on the Workshop- |
| Faculty available to us? Yes. Absolutely! It was great to have the teachers be so approachable. |
| I really had a great experience in Portland last week, and wanted to thank you again for your helpful instruction and for your part in putting together the workshop. This experience has encouraged me to apply in the fall to DMA programs in conducting. |
| The best organized and most helpful conducting workshop I have been to. |
| Fantastic choice of repertoire- I loved working on the Don Giovanni Excerpts with the singers! |
| I loved the intensity- not a wasted minute in four days |
| Thanks for all your work! It was a great workshop! |
| The orchestra was so supportive and the teachers were incredibly accesable and supportive |
| Sixth Annual Rose City International Conductor's Workshop July 5-11, 2010 Portland, Oregon |
| The mission of the Rose City International Conductor's Workshop is to provide professional training at the highest level to emerging conductors from all over the world. |
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