Who is the Conductor in 2006-2007?
Mr. David Thorp is the current Conductor of the Auburn Youth Symphony. He earned a B.M. Viola Performance from University of South Florida, a M.M. Degree in Performance, studying with violist Lillian Fuchs at the Manhattan School of Music, New York City. He has served as principal violist of the American Philharmonic Orchestra of Carnegie Hall with conductor Rohan Joseph. He has been principal violist of the Apollo Orchestra since 1983 and of the Auburn Symphony since 1995. He has also served as violin instructor with the Bach Foundation since 1995. He has also served as Section and Principal violinist with the Cosmopolitan Orchestra of New York and with Chamber Music on Nantucket and at the Aspen Music Festival - Repertory and Philharmonic Orchestra. He teaches violin and viola at the Music & More Arts Academy of Auburn, and he performs in numerous engagements in California and Nevada in addition to those in the Stockton Symphony and the North State Symphony. To the Auburn Youth Symphony members, David Thorp is a conductor who shares his gentle wit, patient leadership and belief in each musician's ability.
Mr. Thomas Slabaugh served as interm conductor for a short time.
Dr. Horatio Ray Edens, Ph. D. served as Conductor of the Auburn Youth Symphony from 1997-2000. Dr. Edens is a cellist as well as conductor. He graduated with high honors from the University of Wyoming, followed by a master's and doctoroal degree studies at the University of Iowa. He taught in the Pocatello, Idaho school system, at Idaho State University, where heheaded the string department and received the liberal arts division's Outstanding Teacher Award. He was a visiting artist at Cornell College and served at Humboldt State University as an Assistant Professor of Music. Edens has presented chamber music concerts as a member of the Muhfeld Trio, the Idaho Quarte, the Fairall quartet, Ten Strings, and the Auburn Camerata, and has appeared as cello soloist with orchestras in Iowa, Illinois, Idaho, Washington, Wyoming and California.
Mr. Jay Sydeman was Conductor of the Auburn Youth Symphony from its inception in 1991 to 1997. Mr. Sydeman began studying music at the age of ten. In 1944 he formed a dance band and composed and directed the musical comedy Calcutta. He went on to study at Mannes College of Music, Tanglewood Music Center and Hart College of Music, where he earned his master's degree in composition in 1960. In 1959 he joined the faculty at Mannes, teaching theory, counterpoint, analysis, music literature, orchestration and composition. Between 1960 and 1970 he received four premieres yearly in New York. Amon his awards, in 1965 he received the Boston Symphony Merit Award for a "major contribution to the 20th century orchestra repertoire." In 1969 he left New York to join the staff of a California school for disturbed adolescents. In 1980 he was the chairman of the music deparment at Rudolph Steiner College in Fair Oaks. Throughout his teaching years, he continued to compose and conduct music for festivals, operas and films.
Ms. Jeanine Dexter served as Wind Ensemble-Intermediate Orchestra Conductor in 1997 and 1998. Ms. Dexter is an outstanding keyboardist and accompanist for professional musicals and churches in northern California.
Dr. Sherrick Hiscock II Ph.D. served in 1996 as Wind-Ensemble-Intermediate Orchestra Conductor. Dr. Hiscock has a rich musical background and has served many years in the California Foothills as a professional woodwind musician in his own right with various orchestras.
