Hailed by the Washington Post as an “up-and-coming conductor” and a “true star” of the podium, Kenneth Woods is rapidly being acknowledged as a musician with a unique combination of charisma, talent and wit, whose podium presence was recently compared to a young William Hurt. Ken is known for his interpretations of the music of Mahler, Shostakovich, Beethoven and Haydn and for his humorous and insightful way of engaging audiences.
Ken is a former guitarist who's playing credits include work with the original funky drummer, Clyde Stubblefield of James Brown's classic band, and the Grammy winning New England Ragtime Ensemble under Gunther Schuller, and his experience in the rock, funk and jazz means that he is uniquely comfortable and effective in welcoming young audiences to classical music.
Already known in America as one of the most exciting conductors of the new generation, Kenneth Woods is quickly becoming recognized as major talent on the international scene. He has worked with many orchestras of international distinction including the National Symphony Orchestra, the Cincinnati Symphony, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the Budapest Festival Orchestra and the State of Mexico Symphony Orchestra. He has also appeared of the stages of some of the world’s leading music festivals, including Aspen, Lucerne, Round Top and Scotia. His work on the concert platform and in the recording studio has led to numerous broadcasts on BBC Radio 3, National Public Radio, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
In the spring of 2001, Kenneth Woods was selected by Leonard Slatkin as one of four participants in the Kennedy Center National Conducting Institute. At the completion of the Institute, he led the National Symphony Orchestra in a debut concert, drawing great critical acclaim and a return invitation from the NSO. In the spring of 2000, David Zinman selected Kenneth Woods from a pool of over 200 applicants to be a fellow in the inaugural class of the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen. Toronto Symphony Music Director Peter Oundjian has praised Woods as “a conductor with true vision and purpose. He has a most fluid and clear style and an excellent command on the podium… a most complete musician.”
Kenneth Woods has conducted critically praised productions of operas from Britten to Puccini, and ballet scores as diverse as Giselle, The Nutcracker, Firebird and Konservatoriet. Woods’ activities as an active proponent of contemporary music include collaborations as a conductor or cellist with such figures as John Corigliano, Krystopf Penderecki, Peter Lieberson, Oliver Knussen and many others.
As a cellist he has been recipient of the Aspen Fellowship (Mr. Woods has received the Aspen Fellowship as both a cellist and conductor), the Dale Gilbert Award (the only musician to win this award in consecutive years), the Strelow Quartet Fellowship, the National Endowment for the Arts Rural Residency Grant and has recorded and toured extensively as soloist and chamber musician. Composer Chen Yi called said of his performance of her first cello concerto that "your sound is solid, sweet, shining and powerful! Thank you for your support!"
He has played chamber music with members of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Smithsonian Chamber Players, the Cincinnati, Chicago and Toronto symphonies, and the Minnesota, Gewandhaus and Concertgebouw orchestras. He was founding cellist of the NEA recognized Taliesin Trio, and of the Masala Quartet, who have recorded for Vienna Modern Masters and appeared at festivals and concert series in the US and Europe. As a student, he coached with members of many of the worlds leading quartets, including the Tokyo, Vermeer, La Salle, Pro Arte, Borodin, Emerson and Vegh. In 2006 he became a founding artist of the Clocktower Chamber Music Festival in Durango, Colorado.
My trumpet friend Matt Burke told me he played a Haydn program with you last weekend. I see you have Oregon connections. I am in Seattle but love to get down to Oregon when I can. I also see you are a cellist. I recently made a trio version of my Suite from Razumov for clarinet, cello & piano -- let me know if you'd like to see it.
"The Season" is nearly upon us. When you're in the mood to blast some techno Sugar Plum Fairy, or chill out to Arabian Dance, you know where to find it!
