For the past decade, Westchester Oratorio Society has
been presenting first-rate classical music concerts in
upper Westchester and in guest appearances at such venues
as the Brooklyn Academy of Music and Carnegie Hall. WOS
enters its exciting eleventh season with renewed energy,
a newly formed and enthusiastic Board of Directors and
a new Artistic Director/Conductor, Mr. Benjamin Niemczyk.
No stranger to the organization, Mr. Niemczyk has on occasion
added his rich bass/baritone vocals to the group’s
concerts and has filled in as conductor when needed.
Rehearsals begin on September 4th and are held each Tuesday
from 7:30 to 10:00 pm at the Katonah United Methodist Church,
which is located one block from Metro North at the intersection
of Bedford/Woodsbridge and Edgemont Roads in Katonah. The
board has initiated a “no audition” policy
and invites competent volunteer singers in all voice parts
to “try us out.” Our winter concert will feature
chorus and organ and will be held on Sunday, December 9th,
2007 at 4:00 pm, in the acoustically and visually stunning
Scarborough Presbyterian Church. For his conducting debut
Mr. Niemczyk has chosen an oratorio by Camille Saint-Sa?ns,
two World Premieres written in the classical tradition,
as well as works by Bruckner and Faure. Negotiations are
under way for a collaboration between WOS and the critically
acclaimed and world-renowned Baroque ensemble REBEL for
a concert in spring of 2008. Those interested in singing
can simply show up, call 347-223-9303, or visit www.westchesteroratorio.org for more information.
WOS founder, Harold Rosenbaum, resigned his position as
conductor at the end of last season as new opportunities
and commitments, including recent appointments as Artistic
Director of The Sound of Baltics Festival and The Foundation
for Universal Sacred Music, presented conflicts with WOS
rehearsals. Newly appointed Chorus Manager, Michael Cole,
felt it was a natural progression to offer the position
to Mr. Niemczyk, who had studied under Harold and had also
been Harold’s assistant for WOS and for Canticum
Novum Singers in New York City. Mr. Cole said he began
a grass-roots campaign to hire Benjamin. “I was very
enthusiastic about Ben the few times he conducted our chorus.
When I learned Harold was resigning, I began asking chorus
members what they thought of Ben and quickly discovered
that I wasn’t the only one he had impressed. I had
such a strong belief in Ben’s talent that I offered
to assume a leadership position in the organization if
he was hired as conductor.”
Asked about his early involvement with the group, Benjamin
replies, “After conducting WOS for the first time,
I thought I wouldn’t be given the opportunity to
work again with the ensemble, though in the back of my
mind I was hoping I would. The chemistry was undeniably
good from the outset, and like a really good date, the
possibility of meeting again was in my consciousness.” When
asked what he is most looking forward to, he states, “What
makes WOS unique is its spirit and energy. The first time
I conducted WOS, I was instantly impressed with the intellectual
and emotional commitment that each singer had to the music.
There was a unanimous outpouring of love for the music
that every artist hopes to be a part of at least once in
his or her life.”
Mr. Niemczyk gave his Town Hall and European conducting
debuts in 2004 and has conducted the Civic Orchestra of
the Chicago Symphony. He continues to participate in concert
performances on national television and in feature films
and at venues such as Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall,
Carnegie Hall, and Radio City Music Hall. He is a founding
member of C4 (Choral Composer/Conductor Collective), the
nation's largest new music choral ensemble and is a strong
advocate of the production and performance of new music
of all genres and musical languages. He comes to WOS with
an equally steadfast commitment to preserving music of
the past and cementing it into the modern musical canon,
especially works of the mid and late Romantic period.
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