Kenneth Kiesler

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Kenneth Kiesler (born August 18, 1953) is an American symphony orchestra and opera conductor and mentor to conductors. Kiesler is conductor laureate of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra where he was

Grammy Award for his recording of Darius Milhaud’s opera L’Orestie d’Eschyle.[2] He is Director of Orchestras and Professor of Conducting at the University of Michigan.[3]

Early life and education

Kenneth Kiesler was born in

Ceremony of Carols when the director took ill prior to the concert.[5]
Kiesler graduated from Nanuet High School in 1971.

Kiesler studied music at the

Aspen Music School[8] and his teachers and mentors have included Fiora Contino, Julius Herford, John Nelson,[8] Erich Leinsdorf, James Wimer, and Carlo Maria Giulini.[4]

Kiesler was a participant in the

Kennedy Center[9] and the 1991 Carnegie Hall Centenary conducting class with Pierre Boulez and L’Ensemble InterContemporain.[10]

Career

A prominent conductor, Kiesler is also a sought-after mentor and teacher to conductors.[11] The French music critic Roger Bouchard said of him, “There do exist great American conductors, and Kiesler is one of them! Standing on behalf of the music he serves, he conducts from memory with unaffected gestures both precise and passionate. Nothing is unnecessary in his conducting; yet everything is there. Very beautiful work!"[12]

Kiesler is the conductor of many acclaimed recordings on the

Grammy for his recording of Darius Milhaud’s opera L’Orestie d’Eschyle which was nominated for Best Opera Recording in 2014.[2] This is the first recording of Milhaud's complete Orestiean Trilogy of Aeschylus based on a libretto of Paul Claudel.[14]

Kiesler has conducted many of the world's leading ensembles including the

Meadowbrook, Sewanee and Skaneateles music festivals.[3]

Kenneth Kiesler served as music director of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra from 1980 to 2000, during which time he founded the Illinois Symphony Chorus, the Illinois Chamber Orchestra, and led debuts at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall.[3] He was also assistant conductor of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra from 1980 to 1983,[5] music director and conductor of the South Bend Symphony Orchestra from 1984 to 1988 and principal conductor of the Saint Cecilia Orchestra from 1992 to 1995.[15] From 2002 to 2007 Kiesler was music director of the New Hampshire Symphony Orchestra.[16]

Kiesler has conducted

Verdi among others.[12]

Kiesler's advocacy for new music and living composers has included conducting more than 15 world and American premieres[3] by composers James Aikman, Leslie Bassett, Paul Brantley, Evan Chambers, Sven Daigger, Gabriella Lena Frank, Aharon Harlap, James P. Johnson, Ben Johnston, Vítězslava Kaprálová,[17] Kristin Kuster, Stephen Rush, Gunther Schuller and Steven Stucky.[3] His notable premieres and new music performances include conducting the 1990 world premiere in Illinois and the New York premiere at Carnegie Hall of Gunther Schuller’s Concerto for 2 Pianos, 3 Hands, which was written for pianists Lorin Hollander and Leon Fleisher, and performed with the Illinois Chamber Orchestra.[18] Kiesler conducted the U.S. Premiere of Mendelssohn's Third Piano Concerto with pianist Anton Nel in 1997.[6] In 2002, he premiered the score reconstruction by James Dapogny of the opera De Organizer by James P. Johnson and Langston Hughes which was the first performance since 1940.[19] In 2006, he also conducted the world premiere of Johnson’s The Dreamy Kid; libretto by Eugene O'Neill.[19] Kiesler conducted the world premiere of The Old Burying Ground a song cycle for soprano, tenor, folksinger and orchestra by Evan Chambers in 2007, which was subsequently recorded in 2008.[20]

Teacher

Since 1995, Kiesler has been professor of conducting and director of orchestras at the

University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance.[1] He is a sought after teacher and mentor of conductors internationally.[21] Kiesler has been director of conducting programs of International Masterclasses Berlin since 2012.[3] From 2006 to 2012, he was the Director of the Conductors Programme of Canada's National Arts Centre Orchestra.[12] He was Director of the Vendome International Academy of Orchestral Conducting in Paris and Vendôme France from 2006 to 2010.[12] Kiesler directed the orchestras while serving as visiting artist and advisor in orchestral studies at the Manhattan School of Music from 2006 to 2010.[12]

Kiesler has led many conducting master classes in the United States and internationally, including for the

Oxford University, the Waterville Valley Music Center and in the cities of Chicago, Houston, Leipzig, Moscow, Rome, São Paulo and Salt Lake City.[3]

Kiesler's conducting students have won prizes in the Donatella Flick London Symphony Conducting Competition (Elim Chan),[22] Nikolai Malko Conducting Competition (Mei-Ann Chen),[23] Maazel-Vilar Conducting Competition (Joana Carneiro, Bundit Ungrangsee),[24] Eduardo Mata Conducting Competition (Yaniv Dinur),[25] and hold positions with orchestras, opera companies and educational institutions worldwide.

Kiesler is the founder and director of the Conductors Retreat at Medomak,[1] an annual, intensive program which develops conductors’ artistic sensibilities and technical skills, as well as personal attributes and leadership capacity. It takes place at the site of the historic Medomak camp in Maine, where Kiesler himself spent many formative summers in his youth.[11] Since 1997 the Conductors Retreat at Medomak has attracted conductors from around the world for instruction in conducting, score study, aural skills and physical expression.[26]

Awards and recognitions

Kiesler has been awarded:

Books

Kiesler contributed to the content in:

  • Saler, Thomas D. (2010). Serving genius : Carlo Maria Giulini. Urbana: University of Illinois Press.
    ISBN 978-0-252-03502-9
    .

He is also included and referenced in:

Personal life

Kiesler is the father of three children, Laura, Adam and Aliyah.[32] He currently resides in Ann Arbor, Michigan.[4]

Selected discography

  • Levy: Shir Shel Moshe (Song of Moses) / BBC Singers, Kiesler,
    Naxos
    (2004)
  • Bolcom, Bassett, Daugherty: Concertos / Kiesler, Et Al, Equilibrium (2004)
  • Ben-Amots: Celestial Dialogues / Hashkivenu, Milken Archive,
    Naxos
    (2004)
  • Ellstein: The Gollum (Scenes), Jewish Operas, Vol. 1, Milken Archive,
    Naxos
    (2004)
  • Amram: Shir L'erev Shabbat / The Final Ingredient, Milken Archive,
    Naxos
    (2004)
  • Schoenfield: The Merchant and the Pauper, Milken Archive,
    Naxos
    (2004)
  • Weinberg: Shabbat Ba'aretz, Milken Archive,
    Naxos
    (2005)
  • Schiff: Gimpel the Fool (Scenes), Jewish Operas, Vol. 2, Milken Archive,
    Naxos
    (2006)
  • Schiff: Gimpel the Fool (Complete) Third Angle,
    Naxos
    (2007)
  • Evan Chambers: The Old Burying Ground / Kiesler, University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra, Dorian Sono Luminus (2010)
  • Nissman plays Ginastera: The Three Piano Concertos, Pierian (2013)
  • Milhaud: L’Orestie d'Eschyle, University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra, Percussion Ensemble and Choirs,
    Naxos
    (2014)

References

  1. ^ a b c "An Interview with Kenneth Kiesler". Milken Archive of Jewish Music. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
  2. ^ a b c "57th Annual Grammy Awards Winners & Nominees". Grammy.com. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Kenneth Kiesler, Bios, Pictures, Albums – Naxos Classical Music". Naxos Records. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  4. ^ a b c "Kenneth Kiesler". Los Angeles Conducting Workshop. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  5. ^ a b Brown, Steven (January 20, 1993). "The FSO Search Kiesler Led Springfield Growth". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  6. ^ a b "Making music with Kenneth Kiesler". New Hampshire Business Review. November 14, 2003. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  7. ^ "The Johns Hopkins University Commencement 1980". Internet Archive. The Johns Hopkins University. 1971. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  8. ^ a b c Goodfellow, William (December 1, 1996). "Kiesler Sees Symphony as Orchestra with a Future". Deseret News. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  9. ^ Carrington, Mark (June 16, 1990). "NSO 3 Young Conductors". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
  10. ^ Schwarz, K. Robert (February 17, 1991). "Classical Music; A Mellowed Polemicist Retains His Edge". The New York Times. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  11. ^ a b Schiff, David. "Conducting: A Backwoods Guide". No. April 2002. The Atlantic. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  12. ^ a b c d e f "Faculty/Staff Kenneth Kiesler". School of Music, Theatre & Dance. University of Michigan. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  13. ^ a b "Kenneth Kiesler: Conductor and Mentor of Conductors". International Masterclasses Berlin. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  14. ^ Clements, Andrew (August 27, 2014). "Milhaud: L'Orestie d'Eschyle review – an operatic curiosity worth investigating". The Guardian. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
  15. ^ Kozinn, Allan (February 4, 1995). "Albany Orchestra Visits Its Big-City Cousins". The New York Times. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  16. ^ "Making music with Kenneth Kiesler". New Hampshire Business Review. November 14, 2003. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  17. ^ "The Centenary Year". The Kapralova Society. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  18. ^ Pincus, Andrew (January 21, 1990). "Music; Two Pianos, Three Hands and One Composer". The New York Times. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  19. ^ a b Harewood, G.H.H.L.E. (2006). "Opera". The University of Michigan, Rolls House Publishing Company. 57 (7–12): 1216–1217. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  20. ^ "Michigan Muse". No. 1–2. UM Libraries. University of Michigan. School of Music, Theatre & Dance. 2006. p. 9. Retrieved September 27, 2015.
  21. ^ "Kenneth Kiesler". AllMusic. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
  22. ^ Tilden, Imogen (December 9, 2014). "Elim Chan wins 2014 Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition". The Guardian. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
  23. ^ Music at Michigan (v. 37–39 ed.). University of Michigan, School of Music. 2003. p. 14. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  24. ^ Blumenthal, Ralph (September 30, 2002). "And Then There Were Two; Prize Is Shared in Conductors' Competition". The New York Times. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  25. ^ "Rebecca Miller Wins First prize in The Eduardo Mata International Conducting Competition". Classical Source. classicalsource.com. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  26. ^ "Conducting". Conductors Retreat at Medomak. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  27. ^ "Winner in Orchestral Performance/Conducting". The American Prize: celebrating American excellence in the arts. Retrieved September 10, 2015.
  28. ^ "House of Representatives Journal, Ninety-first General Assembly". State of Illinois House Journal. No. 121. April 12, 2000. Retrieved October 23, 2015. {{cite journal}}: |volume= has extra text (help)
  29. ^ Henken, John (January 14, 1989). "Kiesler Tries Out His Baton at Long Beach". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  30. ^ a b "Governor's Awards Slated". The State Journal-Register. November 12, 1987. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
  31. ^ Emblen, Frank (September 7, 1986). "Mr. Kiesler, winner of the 1986 Leopold Stokowski Conducting Competition". The New York Times. No. New Jersey Guide. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  32. ^ "Rose Segal Kiesler – obituary". The New York Times. February 27, 2007. Retrieved September 26, 2015.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kenneth_Kiesler&oldid=1165289872"