Timothy Weiss, conductor
Conductor Timothy Weiss has gained critical acclaim throughout the United States and abroad for his performances and brave, adventurous programming. In his 14 years as music director of the Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble, he has brought the group to a level of artistry and virtuosity in performance rivaling that of the finest professional new music groups. After a recent concert with the ensemble in Carnegie Hall, Anthony Aibel of the New York Concert Review wrote: “Under the direction of Timothy Weiss [the ensemble] presented unbelievably polished, superb performances—impeccable performances—of extremely challenging recent music. … the performance … cohered like one instrument with perfection thanks to the expert preparation by Timothy Weiss.”
A recipient of the American Symphony Orchestra League’s Adventurous Programming Award, Weiss explores connections within and between pieces in his performances and searches for similarities of voice between composers from seemingly different genres, periods, and backgrounds. Accordingly, his programs often present rare and revealing juxtapositions and offer a broad range of works from his vast and fearless repertoire in contemporary music.
An active guest conductor, Weiss recently conducted the BBC Scottish Symphony in Glasgow, Scotland, and the International Contemporary Ensemble in New York’s Miller Theatre and San Francisco’s Hertz Hall. He also has conducted the Toledo, Quad City, San Angelo, and Cleveland Chamber symphonies; the Newark-Granville Symphony Orchestra; the Detroit Chamber Winds; the Symphony Orchestra of the Nacional Association de Conciertos in Panama City, Panama, and the ensemble Synergy Vocals at the Almeida Opera Festival in London, England.
Weiss’s collaborations with composers, performers, and choreographers include recent performances with Ursula Oppens, Jennifer Koh ’97, Marilyn Nonken, Harrison Birtwistle, Joan Tower, Tania Leon, Tan Dun, Kevin Volans, James Dillon, Brian Ferneyhough, Lewis Nielson, and John Luther Adams. A committed educator, Weiss is Ruth Strickland Gardner Professor of Music Conducting and Director of the Division of Conducting and Ensembles at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where he created and mentored the ensemble eighth blackbird. He holds degrees from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Brussels, Northwestern University, and the University of Michigan.