| Eric Townell |
| Conductor |
For more information please visit:
http://www.rossings.org/
http://www.erictownell.net/
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For more information please visit: http://www.rossings.org/ http://www.erictownell.net/ |
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| Conductor Eric Townell is widely recognized as a versatile
and dynamic musician. He currently serves as Music Director for three
reputable choirs: the Rochester Oratorio Society, their outreach
ensemble Resonanz, and the Master Singers of Milwaukee. In addition,
Eric is a frequent guest conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic
Orchestra. Even while juggling his various conducting duties, Eric
continues to expand the musical activities of all his musical groups.
Recently, the Rochester Oratorio Society made a much-anticipated visit
to China for a concert series. He has also collaborated on the WXXI
Radio Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra broadcasts since 2006. Eric has appeared to critical acclaim as guest conductor of the Silesian State Opera Orchestra in the Czech Republic and the Milwaukee, Lincoln, Madison, Adrian, Fox Valley, Waukesha and Hershey Symphony Orchestras and the Prince George's Philharmonic in the US. He substituted on short notice to conduct the Hellas Soloists of Patras, Greece in two of their Italian concerts during the orchestra’s European tour. In 2010, Eric oversaw choral preparation for the Empire State Lyric Theater. Two-time winner of the International Opera Conducting Course/Competition, he made his European debut conducting Eugene Onegin at the Silesian State Opera of the Czech Republic and subsequently returned to lead Die Zauberflöte with that company. He conducted an acclaimed production of Rigoletto with L’Opera Piccola of Chicago in 2002, and served as Artistic Director for Milwaukee Opera Theatre productions of Hansel & Gretel and Norma in 2001-2002. Eric was assistant conductor for the Madison Opera’s world-premiere performance of Daron Hagen’s Frank Lloyd Wright opera, Shining Brow. He has led performances for the national touring company of Amahl and the Night Visitors and concerts of opera scenes and arias with the Beethoven Chamber Orchestra of the Czech Republic. From 1993 until 2005 he held the position of Music Director of the Festival Choir of Madison. Eric led the choir in its inaugural CD, Wisconsin Sings!, selections from which were broadcast nationwide by National Public Radio. Together, Eric and the Festival Choir performed four live broadcast concerts from the Elvehjem Museum of Art for Wisconsin Public Radio, annual subscription concerts and statewide and international concert tours. They undertook an impressive series of commissions, premiering and recording works by Jean Belmont, Daron Hagen, Elam Ray Sprenkle and Stephen Paulus. Eric has appeared as guest conductor for the Susquehanna Chorale and the Elgin Choral Union. He was the founding director and music director of the Central Wisconsin Symphony Chorus. Despite his busy schedule, Eric continues to mentor young musicians across the country. He frequently serves as an adjudicator for the popular Classical Idol competition in Rochester. He has also been invited as a clinician to various organizations and schools along the East Coast. Eric holds the Doctor of Musical Arts in Orchestral Conducting from Peabody Conservatory. He studied at the Hochschule für Musik in Vienna, Austria, at Northern Illinois University, Indiana University, at St. Louis Conservatory and privately with conductors Georg Tintner, Frederik Prausnitz and Catherine Comet and with Helmuth Rilling at the Oregon Bach Festival’s conducting master class of 2002. Eric’s orchestral and choral conducting were the subject of the 1994 Wisconsin Public Radio broadcast “Music from Wisconsin: A Wisconsin Conductor” 8/8/11 |