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Nov. 9, 2007/FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media (only) contact: Marla Carpenter, 336-770-3337, carpem@ncarts.edu RANSOM WILSON TO DEBUT AS MUSIC DIRECTOR OF NCSA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ON NOV. 17 AT THE STEVENS CENTER
WINSTON-SALEM – The much-anticipated debut of Ransom Wilson as the new music director of the North Carolina School of the Arts Symphony Orchestra is set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, at the Stevens Center in downtown Winston-Salem. Tickets, at $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors, are available from the NCSA Box Office (at the Stevens Center and Watson Hall on campus), 336-721-1945, or online at www.ncarts.edu/performances. Wilson, an alumnus of NCSA, was selected this past summer as the new director of the NCSA Symphony Orchestra and artist-teacher of conducting in the NCSA School of Music. He assumed his duties this fall, 42 years after coming to NCSA as a member of the School’s first class in 1965. Maestro Wilson will lead the orchestra in three celebratory works: Aaron Jay Kernis’ “New Era Dance,” and Maurice Ravel’s “Rapsodie Espagnole” and “Bolero.” In addition, NCSA Concerto Competition winners Whitney Reagan, flute, and Geoffrey Seelen, trombone, will perform concertos by Carl Nielsen and Henri Tomasi.	Ransom Wilson
An internationally acclaimed flutist and orchestral conductor of growing reputation, Ransom Wilson is the founder and conductor of Solisti New York Orchestra, as well as the former artistic director of Oklahoma's OK MOZART International Festival. Originally from Tuscaloosa, Ala., Wilson graduated from high school at NCSA, where he studied flute with Philip Dunigan, and went on to train at The Juilliard School in New York City. From there he took a year of post-graduate studies as an Atlantique Foundation scholar with Jean-Pierre Rampal in Paris. Other of his flute teachers included Alain Marion, Sandra Taylor, Lawrence Morgan, Severino Gazzelloni, Julius Baker, Christian Lard, and Arthur Lora. As a flutist, he has appeared with major orchestras around the world, and has played in recital with many of the greatest musicians of our time. He has been guest conductor of many prestigious ensembles, including the Houston Symphony, Hallé Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke's, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the New York City Opera and the Metropolitan Opera. Last month, in October, he conducted six performances of Handel’s Agrippina at the New York City Opera. This season he will also conduct again at the Met. Mr. Wilson’s conducting teachers have included Roger Nierenberg, James Dixon, Otto-Werner Mueller, and Leonard Bernstein. Ransom Wilson has recorded 30 albums as flutist or conductor, and was nominated three times for the Grammy Award. In addition, he recently formed a new CD label: IMAGE RECORDINGS, for which he acts as producer and director of artists and repertoire. The label has already won a major award for one of its recordings. Other of Wilson’s awards include the Alabama Prize from The New York Times Foundation, and the Award of Merit in Gold from the Republic of Austria. An artist-member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Wilson has taught flute at Yale University and has served as music director of the orchestra at the Idyllwild Arts Academy. He has taught master classes at NCSA, the Paris Conservatory, the International Summer Academy in Nice, and The Juilliard School. ###
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Nov. 9, 2007/FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media (only) contact: Marla Carpenter, 336-770-3337, carpem@ncarts.edu

RANSOM WILSON TO DEBUT AS MUSIC DIRECTOR OF
NCSA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
ON NOV. 17 AT THE STEVENS CENTER

WINSTON-SALEM – The much-anticipated debut of Ransom Wilson as the new music director of the North Carolina School of the Arts Symphony Orchestra is set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, at the Stevens Center in downtown Winston-Salem.

Tickets, at $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors, are available from the NCSA Box Office (at the Stevens Center and Watson Hall on campus), 336-721-1945, or online at www.ncarts.edu/performances.

Wilson, an alumnus of NCSA, was selected this past summer as the new director of the NCSA Symphony Orchestra and artist-teacher of conducting in the NCSA School of Music. He assumed his duties this fall, 42 years after coming to NCSA as a member of the School’s first class in 1965.

Maestro Wilson will lead the orchestra in three celebratory works: Aaron Jay Kernis’ “New Era Dance,” and Maurice Ravel’s “Rapsodie Espagnole” and “Bolero.”

In addition, NCSA Concerto Competition winners Whitney Reagan, flute, and Geoffrey Seelen, trombone, will perform concertos by Carl Nielsen and Henri Tomasi.

Ransom Wilson

An internationally acclaimed flutist and orchestral conductor of growing reputation, Ransom Wilson is the founder and conductor of Solisti New York Orchestra, as well as the former artistic director of Oklahoma's OK MOZART International Festival.

Originally from Tuscaloosa, Ala., Wilson graduated from high school at NCSA, where he studied flute with Philip Dunigan, and went on to train at The Juilliard School in New York City. From there he took a year of post-graduate studies as an Atlantique Foundation scholar with Jean-Pierre Rampal in Paris. Other of his flute teachers included Alain Marion, Sandra Taylor, Lawrence Morgan, Severino Gazzelloni, Julius Baker, Christian Lard, and Arthur Lora.

As a flutist, he has appeared with major orchestras around the world, and has played in recital with many of the greatest musicians of our time.

He has been guest conductor of many prestigious ensembles, including the Houston Symphony, Hallé Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke's, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the New York City Opera and the Metropolitan Opera. Last month, in October, he conducted six performances of Handel’s Agrippina at the New York City Opera. This season he will also conduct again at the Met.

Mr. Wilson’s conducting teachers have included Roger Nierenberg, James Dixon, Otto-Werner Mueller, and Leonard Bernstein.

Ransom Wilson has recorded 30 albums as flutist or conductor, and was nominated three times for the Grammy Award. In addition, he recently formed a new CD label: IMAGE RECORDINGS, for which he acts as producer and director of artists and repertoire. The label has already won a major award for one of its recordings.

Other of Wilson’s awards include the Alabama Prize from The New York Times Foundation, and the Award of Merit in Gold from the Republic of Austria.

An artist-member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Wilson has taught flute at Yale University and has served as music director of the orchestra at the Idyllwild Arts Academy. He has taught master classes at NCSA, the Paris Conservatory, the International Summer Academy in Nice, and The Juilliard School.

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