Conductor William Henry Curry, newly named
Associate Conductor of the North Carolina Symphony, is one of the most
talented musicians and conductors on the scene. Recent critics say
Bill Curry is "...an engaging conductor, both verbally and musically"
The Houston Chronicle, and that Bill Curry "...showed he is a musician
of imagination and individuality with a fresh, bold and excitingly
fast-paced Mussorgsky-Ravel "Pictures at an Exhibition", brilliantly
executed by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra".
The Atlanta Journal/The Atlanta Constitution
|
The 1988 winner of the
Leopold Stokowski Conducting Competition of the American Symphony
Orchestra, William Henry Curry, was born in Pittsburgh in 1954 and
started conducting at the age of 14.
From 1983 until 1985 Mr. Curry was resident conductor of the St. Paul
Chamber Orchestra and held the post of resident conductor of the
Baltimore Symphony from 1978 until 1983. He previously served as music
director and conductor for the Peabody Conservatory, the Baltimore
School for the Arts, and was assistant conductor of the Richmond
Chamber Orchestra. The same day he was named assistant conductor (at
age 21) of the Richmond Symphony, he was called upon to replace the
conductor who had suddenly become ill, for the performance of
Beethoven's Ninth Symphony that evening. His unexpected debut was
hailed by critics and audience alike.
In 1983, Mr. Curry was appointed associate conductor of the
Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, a post he held until 1988. He served
there as artistic director of a number of series, including the
orchestra's acclaimed summer series with an annual attendance of some
30,000 concert goers.
Mr. Curry has appeared as guest conductor with orchestras such as the
Baltimore, Atlanta, Houston, Indianapolis, Detroit, Richmond, San
Diego, Denver, Cleveland, New Orleans, Florida, New Mexico and Phoenix
Symphonies, as well as the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Syracuse
Symphony, the American Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall and the
National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center. He was the featured
conductor for the tour and recording of Anthony Davis's
Grammy-nominated X, and for the contemporary music festival "Serious
Fun at Lincoln Center."
Maestro Curry assumed the role of Resident Conductor with the New
Orleans Symphony in the fall of 1990. During the 1990/1991 season Mr.
Curry led three subscription concerts in addition to the Pops and
Discovery Series of the Symphony. In October of 1991 Mr. Curry
conducted the New York City Opera's U.S. premiere of The Mother of
Three Sons by Leroy Jenkins; he went on to conduct five performances
of the Jenkins opera with the Houston Opera in the spring.
In recent seasons, Mr. Curry has spent time with many orchestras,
including the Houston, Altanta and Baltimore Symphony Orchestras, the
Nassau Symphony Orchestra, the North Carolina Symphony, the Sai Jai
Thai Orchestra of Bangkok (Thailand), the National Symphony Orchestra
of Taipei (Taiwan), and the Chautauqua Symphony.
Maestro Curry's recent visit to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
included not only four subscription concerts, but rehearsals with that
orchestra's well-known Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra combined with
the Atlanta Public Schools Orchestra. The subscription program
featured a performance of John Taverner's The Protecting Veil with
Steven Isserlis as solo cellist. Critic Derrick Henry, in reviewing
Maestro Curry's work in Atlanta , wrote - "Curry...showed that he is a
musician of imagination and individuality with a fresh, bold and
excitingly fast-paced Mussorgsky-Ravel Pictures at an Exhibition,
brilliantly executed by the ASO". The 1996-97 season will see Mr.
Curry take the podium as Associate Conductor of the North Carolina
Symphony.
|
