International Conductors Workshop and Competition
January 15-19, 2009
Adrian Gnam, Director
Mercer University, in cooperation with the Macon Symphony Orchestra, announces the sixth annual International Conductors Workshop, which will be held January 15-19, 2009. This intensive five-day program is open to conductors at all levels of experience. Faculty will include Maestro Adrian Gnam, director; Gregory Pritchard (orchestra); Douglas Hill (wind ensemble); and Stanley Roberts (choral).
Workshop Faculty
Adrian Gnam, Director
Adrian Gnam has been the music director and conductor of the Macon Symphony Orchestra since 1983. A versatile musician, Maestro Gnam has conducted symphonic, opera, ballet, choral, pops and young people's concerts. A formal principal oboist of the Cleveland Orchestra, under George Szell, and the American Symphony, under Leopold Stokowski, Mr. Gnam has studied under some of the major figures in the field: Pierre Monteux, Max Rudolf and George Szell. He has guest conducted and performed as an oboe soloist in more than a dozen countries and thirty-six states. He is a former music director of the Midland , Eugene and Tuscaloosa Symphonies. He was Principal Guest Conductor of the Concerto Soloists of Philadelphia for fifteen seasons and the Florence Chamber Orchestra for four seasons. Maestro Gnam is a former director of the music program at the National Endowment for the Arts, where he was awarded a special Distinguished Service Award for "outstanding, innovative and precedent-setting contributions to furthering the goals and missions of the Endowment and enhancing the Arts on a national scale." He is also the recipient of the National Federation of Music Clubs President's Award. He is a former president of the Conductor's Guild (1995-97) and is on the Board of Directors of Macon's Grand Opera House and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Maestro Gnam is a Distinguished Artist in Residence at Mercer University and is music director of the Macon Sinfonia.
Gregory Pritchard
Gregory Pritchard was appointed as the Music Director of the Gainesville Symphony Orchestra (GA) in May of 2005. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Orchestral Conducting from Michigan State University and was a student of Leon Gregorian, Catherine Comet, and Elizabeth Green. He has had additional training with Gustav Meier, David Lobel, Neeme Jarvi, and Adrian Gnam. He previously served as Music Director of North Georgia Symphony and Opera Company of Mid-Michigan for three seasons each and has also held faculty positions at Georgia State University, University of Evansville (IN), Indiana Wesleyan University, Taylor University (IN), Konservatori Seni Halus (Fine Arts Conservatory, Penang, Malaysia), and Hope College (MI). Additional conducting positions include Fellowship Conductor of Grand Rapids Symphony (MI), and Associate Conductor of Kokomo Symphony Orchestra (IN). In 2004 he was awarded guest conducting appointments through the International Conductors Workshop in Macon, Georgia and the Advanced Conducting Workshop in St. Petersburg, Russia. Also in 2004 he was named a Semifinalist for the National Conducting Institute in Washington D.C. Dr. Pritchard is also deeply committed to education and serves as Director of the Orchestral Program at Brookwood High School in Snellville, Georgia. He made his conducting debut at Carnegie Hall in April 2002 with the Brookwood Philharmonic.
Douglas Hill
Douglas Hill is a professor of music in Mercer University's Townsend School of Music. He serves as director of Instrumental Ensembles and coordinator of the Music Education Degree Program, a position he has held for the past 16 years. In addition, he teaches courses in music education and instrumental conducting and applied trumpet lessons. Dr. Hill holds degrees in music education from Ohio University and the University of Illinois, as well as a doctor of musical arts in Conducting from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. He remains active as a guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator across the country and regularly supports commissioning consortiums to promote new wind band compositions of composers, such as Daren Hagen, Nebojsa Zivkovic and Eric Ewazen. While at Mercer, Dr. Hill has produced two compact discs featuring the Mercer Wind Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble; the first, "Bands At Mercer," and the most recent, "World Notes." In addition, Dr. Hill participates in several professional organizations including the Georgia Music Educators Association, College Band Directors National Association, World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles and the International Trumpet Guild.
Stanley L. Roberts
Stanley L. Roberts is in his seventh year as director of choral activities and coordinator of sacred music studies at Mercer University. In the Townsend School of Music, Dr. Roberts directs the Mercer Singers (45 voices), the 100-voice University Choir, and the 20-voice Women's Chamber Choir, while teaching courses in conducting and sacred music. Since becoming director of the Mercer Singers, that ensemble has sung on programs for the Georgia Music Educators Association, made its Spivey Hall debut, performed with the Macon Symphony Orchestra, made two CD recordings, and completed two highly successful international tours of England and Wales (May 2000) and Italy (2002). Dr. Roberts is active as a conductor, clinician and soloist in universities, colleges, churches and schools. He is the founder of jubilate! -- a mass-choir experience for church youth choirs -- and formerly served as the director of The Georgian Renaissance Singers. Dr. Roberts also serves as minister of music at the First Baptist Church of Macon, Georgia. An active member of the Music Educators National Conference and the American Choral Directors Association, he has served on the Advisory Board for Georgia ACDA and as the All-College Chorus Chair for GMEA. Dr. Roberts is a graduate of Mercer University (1984) and completed the degrees master of church music (1989) and doctor of musical arts in conducting (1995) at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Ky. While at Southern Seminary, he was a Garrett Fellow and studied conducting with Dr. John Dickson.
Each participant will conduct on a public performance. At the conclusion of the workshop, up to three participants will be selected to conduct on a concert of the Macon Symphony Orchestra during the current or a future season, depending on the orchestra's and the winner's availability.
Participant fees are $1,650 and include accommodations and lunches. Upon notification of acceptance, a $500 deposit must be submitted with the balance due by Dec. 12, 2008. Up to 12 participants will be selected. Auditor fees are $950. No refunds will be made after Jan. 2, 2009. Checks should be made out to "Mercer University-ICW". Submit: A completed application (available on-line), a $50 non-refundable application fee, a short resume, and a videotape or DVD (if available). Send to:
Mercer University
Townsend School of Music
1400 Coleman Avenue
Macon, GA 31207
For additional information, contact Patty Crocker at 478-301-2748, or e-mail: crocker_pc@mercer.edu.
Fax: (478) 301-5633
Dates, faculty, repertoire and locations subject to change.
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Participants in the 2008 International Conductors Workshop
pose with faculty.
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