January 24, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Portland, Ore. …Tony Woodcock, president of the Oregon Symphony, hosts Fortissimo’s third Listening Group discussion of the 2002-03 season on Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 6:30 p.m. in the U.S. Bank Room in the Central Branch of the Multnomah County Library at 801 SW 10th Ave. Fortissimo, the Symphony’s young professional volunteer organization, presents the Listening Group with the Symphony’s Education and Community Programs Department as a free monthly open forum for people with little or no formal music education to discuss works featured in upcoming Symphony performances. Fortissimo's Listening Group is co-sponsored by the Multnomah County Central Library.
This discussion will focus on the Symphony’s upcoming performance of Mahler’s towering Symphony No. 1 in D major, “Titan,” which will take place on March 1 through 3 with guest conductor Yakov Kreizberg in the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. This symphony possesses a tangled history and Mahler’s thinking about it evolved over a period of years. The finished product bears little resemblance to his initial conception, but it stands as a monumental achievement in symphonic writing.
To allow for further individual study, reference librarians in the Central Library’s Music section will have scores, tapes and books about these works available for checkout after the discussion.
The Symphony’s expanded partnership with Multnomah County Library’s Central Branch has enhanced the Listening Group series in several ways. The spacious U.S. Bank Room, equipped with a state-of-the-art sound system, accommodates up to 100 people, which allows more people to participate in the discussions. The Library’s downtown location allows for easy access via public transportation or by car, and the resources available in the Library will provide participants with a variety of supplementary materials that pertain to the discussion topic. “I am very pleased that the Multnomah County Central Library is a co-sponsor of the Fortissimo Listening Group,” said Michael Kosmala, Director of Education and Community Programs. “The U.S. Bank Room is a fine space for this event and we look forward to collaborating with their reference librarians.”
Fortissimo’s Listening Group meets at the U.S. Bank Room every fourth Wednesday from 6:30-7:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public. The forum was designed for people to share thoughts on music and expose themselves to new perspectives in a friendly environment. For more information and a schedule of meetings, call 503-228-4294, e-mail fortissimo@orsymphony.org or visit the Symphony's Web site at www.orsymphony.org.
Tony Woodcock joined the Oregon Symphony in Portland, Ore., as President in 1998. Since that time the Symphony has undergone a process of considerable development, with improvements to the annual fundraising drive; growth of the Endowment Fund; a new strategic plan; a ground-breaking new three-year contract with the musicians that has grown internal relationships and provided a major foundation for the future; and the appointment of Vienna’s Carlos Kalmar as Music Director Designate to succeed 23-year Music Director James DePreist in 2003-2004. Plans for the immediate future include a large-scale celebration of DePreist's 23 years with the Orchestra; a new community education initiative; further regional touring; and a series of recordings. Woodcock serves on the boards of Business for Culture and the Arts, where he is a member of the executive committee, and the Portland Youth Philharmonic.
Before moving to America, Woodcock was the Managing Director of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO) and Bournemouth Sinfonietta for eight years. During this time he took the BSO on two American tours including debuts at Carnegie Hall and Avery Fischer; tours of Germany and Spain; a residency at the Theatre de Champs Elysee, Paris; first visits to the Musikverein Vienna and the Concertgeboew Amsterdam; and a Grammy-award-winning series of recordings with Andrew Litton and Richard Hickox. Woodcock led the searches in Bournemouth which resulted in the appointments of Yakov Kreizberg and Alexander Polianichko as Principal Conductors of the two orchestras. Prior to Bournemouth Woodcock was the Chief Executive of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, where he led the £10 million capital campaign for the renovation of the Philharmonic Hall. He planned the orchestra’s 150th anniversary celebrations, which included commissioning Paul McCartney to write the Liverpool Oratorio. Other appointments have included General Manager of Saint David's National Concert Hall of Wales; General Manager of the City of London Sinfonia; Assistant Director of South East Arts, and the position of Music Officer for the Welsh Arts Council.
A violinist, Woodcock holds an honors degree in music from University College Cardiff, Wales. He and his wife Virginia reside in Portland, Oregon, with their 19-year-old son Thomas.