Erin R. Freeman

Director of Orchestras - Baltimore School for the Arts
Associate Conductor - Richmond Symphony

"Erin Freeman, the Richmond Symphony's new associate conductor, has inherited the Kicked Back Classics casual concert series from a string of maestros with highly varied inclinations; but she seems well on her way to making it her own. Garbed in red and black, accessorizing with a demon's tail, leading a post-Halloween show in Toad's Place, a downtown nightclub that generally throbs to rock bands, Freeman proved to be both a genially energetic host and a concert programmer who garnishes fun with substance and subtlety."

Letter V - Nov 2, 2007

"Erin Freeman, associate conductor of the Richmond Symphony, capably handled her duties as conductor and as affable emcee and knowledgeable interpreter of the works. Her natural rapport with the audience and players worked well for the casual concert. The highlight of the evening was Heinrich Biber's 'Battalia,' an eight-movement work from the 17th century that incorporates innovative sound devices and polytonality."

Lisa Crutchfield - Times-Dispatch - Oct 6, 2007

Sondheim Evening at Peabody:

"The big star was the orchestra, led sensitively by Erin Freeman."

Tim Smith, Music Critic, Baltimore Sun, March 21, 2006

"Conductor Erin Freeman made the score's most emphatic moments speak."

Tim Smith - Baltimore Sun - October 28, 2003

"Guest Conductor Erin R. Freeman obtained unusually rich and lyrical playing from the orchestra."

Clarke Bustard - Richmond Times-Dispatch, November 3, 2003

"On the podium, Freeman is dynamic but grounded. She remembers what her roll as conductor entails. Beyond the technical aspects comes much more - setting the tempo, expression and interpretation, but most importantly, listening."

Paula Williamson - Savannah Morning News, March 3, 1999

Testimonials

"The highlight of May was performing Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" with the Richmond Philharmonic Orchestra, directed by Erin Freeman, who excites audience and performers, alike."

Russell Wilson - Pianist for the Smithsonian Jazz Orchestra - July 2006

"Erin is indeed on of the best conductors who have graduated from Peabody and I have no doubt that she can look forward to a bright future."

Gustav Meier - April 2006

Recent Conducting Engagements

Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra	Spring Concert	May 2008
Richmond Symphony	Kicked Back Classics Series	May 2008
Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra	Winter Concert	Mar 2008
Richmond Symphony	Bach Festival Subscription Concert	Feb-Mar 2008
Richmond Symphony	Kicked Back Classics Series	Feb 2008
Richmond Symphony	Community Concert	Feb 2008
Richmond Symphony	Discovery Concerts	Jan 2008
Richmond Symphony	Wachovia Securities Symphony Pops	Dec 2007
Richmond Symphony	Messiah - Complete	Nov-Dec 2007
Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra	Fall Concert	Nov 2007
Richmond Symphony	Kicked Back Classics Series	Nov 2007
Richmond Symphony	Wachovia Securities Symphony Pops	Oct 2007
Richmond Philharmonic	Broadway and Beyond: A Celebration of Song	Jun 2006
Baltimore School for the Arts Concert	Repertoire includes Dvořák Symphony No. 8	May 2006
Richmond Philharmonic	Repertoire includes Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue and Brahms Symphony No. 2	May 2006
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Concert Artists of Baltimore, Peabody Singers	John Adams On the Transmigration of Souls (Chorus Master)	Apr 2006
Baltimore School for the Arts Orchestra	Music Matinee Performances for Baltimore City Elementary Students. Repertoire includes Prokofiev Peter and the Wolf	Apr 2006
Peabody Opera Department	Music Director and Conductor of Mainstage Performance of Stephen Sondheim A Little Night Music	Mar 2006
Baltimore School for the Arts	"Expressions" Gala Performance	Mar 2006
Peabody Choral Ensembles	Kodaly Missa Brevis (Cover Conductor)	Mar 2006
Richmond Philharmonic	Repertoire includes John Adams Chairman Dances and Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances	Feb 2006
Baltimore School for the Arts Orchestra	Repertoire includes J.C. Bach Symphony Opus 12/3 and Haydn "Surprise" Symphony	Feb 2006
Peabody Singers	Choral Composition Recording and Performance	Feb 2006
Richmond Philharmonic	Holiday Concert	Dec 2005
Peabody Choral Ensembles	Mozart Requiem (Cover Conductor)	Dec 2005
Richmond Philharmonic	Holiday Concert	Dec 2005
Baltimore School for the Arts Orchestra	Holiday Concert	Dec 2005
South Central Virginia Regional Orchestra (Guest Conductor)	Repertoire includes Sibelius Karelia Suite, Saint Saens Danse Macabre, and Verdi Overture to Nabucco	Nov 2005
Richmond Philharmonic	Repertoire includes Shostakovich Festive Overture and Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4	Nov 2005
Baltimore School for the Arts Orchestra	Performance at the Baltimore Museum of Art in Conjunction with "Claude Monet in London" exhibit. Repertoire includes Handel Water Music and Elgar Sospiri.	Nov 2005
National Philharmonic	Interactive Performance of Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4	Oct 2005

Current Repertoire List

WORKS CONDUCTED IN PERFORMANCE
ORCHESTRAL:
Bach, JS	Cantata, BWV 210	Peabody Conservatory Players
Barber	Knoxville Summer of 1915, Op. 24	Aspen Summer Music Festival and School
	[First] Essay for Orchestra, Op. 12	Baltimore School for the Arts Orchestra
Bartok	Romanian Folk Dances	Baltimore School for the Arts Orchestra
Beethoven	Piano Concerto No. 1, first movement	Richmond Philharmonic
Beethoven	Egmont Overture	Richmond Philharmonic
	Symphony No. 1 in C Major	The Savannah Symphony Orchestra
	Symphony No. 7 in A Major	Graduate Recital, Peabody Conservatory
	Coriolanus Overture	Baltimore School for the Arts Orchestra
Bernstein	Overture to Candide	Richmond Philharmonic
Bizet	L'Arlesienne, Suites Nos. 1& 2	The Savannah Symphony Orchestra
	Carmen Suite	Baltimore School for the Arts Orchestra
Borodin	Polvetsian Dances from Prince Igor	Richmond Philharmonic
Brahms	"Academic Festival" Overture	Richmond Philharmonic
	Double Concerto, Op. 102	Peabody Conservatory
	Hungarian Dances, Nos. 5 & 6	The Savannah Symphony Orchestra
Britten	Soirees Musicales	Baltimore School for the Arts Chamber Players
Chadwick	"Jubilee" and "Noel" from Symphonic Sketches	The Savannah Symphony Orchestra
Copland	Music for the Theatre	Aspen Summer Music Festival and School
	Old American Songs, Set 1	Aspen Summer Music Festival and School
	Fanfare for the Common Man	The Savannah Symphony Orchestra
	Variations on a Shaker Theme	The Savannah Symphony Orchestra
Corelli	"Christmas" Concerto	Baltimore School for the Arts String Orchestra
De Beriot	Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, No. 9	Baltimore School for the Arts Orchestra
Dvořák	Symphony No. 9, "From the New World"	The Savannah Symphony Orchestra
	Symphony No. 8 (Finale)	Baltimore School for the Arts Orchestra
Elgar	Variations of a Theme, "Enigma", Op. 36	Richmond Philharmonic
Foss	Time Cycle	Peabody Concervatory Doctoral
Franck	Symphony in D minor	Richmond Philharmonic
Gounod	Funeral March of the Marionette	Baltimore School for the Arts
Grieg	In the Hall of the Mountain King	Baltimore School for the Arts
Haydn	Symphony No. 101 "The Clock" (First Movement)	Baltimore School for the Arts
	Symphony No. 104 "London"	Richmond Philharmonic
	Piano Concerto in A Major (First Movement)	Baltimore School for the Arts
Holst	The Planets (Off stage conductor)	The Savannah Symphony Orchestra
	Saint Paul's Suite, Intermezzo	The Savannah Symphony Orchestra
Humperdinck	Prelude to Hänsel und Gretel	The Savannah Symphony Orchestra
Hummel	Concerto in E-flat for Trumpet and Orchestra	Baltimore School for the Arts
	Fantasy for Viola and Orchestra	Baltimore School for the Arts
Mahler	Symphony No. 5, "Adagietto"	Peabody Conservatory
Marcello	Oboe Concerto	Baltimore School for the Arts Chamber Orchestra
Mendelssohn	Symphony No. 4, "The Italian"	The Savannah Symphony Orchestra & Peabody Concert Orchestra
Mozart, L.	Toy Symphony	The Savannah Symphony Orchestra
Mozart, W.A.	Exultate, Jubilate	Peabody Conservatory Players
	Overture to The Impresario	Baltimore School for the Arts Chamber Players
	Symphony No. 31 "Paris"	Baltimore School for the Arts Chamber Players
	Overture to The Magic Flute	Graduate Recital, Peabody Conservatory
	Overture to The Marriage of Figaro	Baltimore School for the Arts Orchestra
	Three German Dances, K. 605	The Savannah Symphony Orchestra
	Bassoon Concerto	Richmond Philharmonic
	Flute Concerto	Baltimore School for the Arts Chamber Players
Prokofiev	Peter and the Wolf	Aspen Summer Music Festival and School
Rachmaninoff	Concerto No. 2 for Piano and Orchestra	Richmond Philharmonic
Ravel	Mother Goose Suite	Baltimore School for the Arts Orchestra
	Tzigane	Graduate Recital, Peabody Conservatory
Respighi	Ancient Airs and Dances	The Savannah Symphony Orchestra
Rimsky-Korsakov	"Polonaise" from Christmas Eve	The Savannah Symphony Orchestra
Rossini	Overture to Italian in Algiers	The Savannah Symphony Orchestra
Saint-Saens	Danse Macabre	Baltimore School for the Arts
Schuller	Seven Studies on Paul Klee (Off-stage Conductor)	The Savannah Symphony Orchestra
Shostakovich	Chamber Symphony	Baltimore School for the Arts String Orchestra
	Festive Overture	Peabody Concert Orchestra
Still, William Grant	Panamanian Dances for String Orchestra	Baltimore School for the Arts Orchestra
Stravinsky	Histoire du Soldat	Peabody Conservatory Players
Tchaikovsky	Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor	Richmond Philharmonic
	Suite from The Nutcracker	The Savannah Symphony Orchestra
	Symphony No. 4 (3rd mvt)	The Savannah Symphony Orchestra
	String Serenade	Baltimore School for the Arts String Orchestra
Telemann	Don Quixote Suite	Baltimore School for the Arts String Orchestra
Torke	Bright Blue Music	Peabody Symphony Orchestra
Verdi	Overture to La forza del destino	Richmond Philharmonic
	Overture to Nabucco	Baltimore School for the Arts Orchestra
Vivaldi	"Summer" from The Four Seasons	Aspen Summer Music Festival and School
	"Winter" from The Four Seasons	The Savannah Symphony Orchestra
Wagner	Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde	Richmond Philharmonic
Walker	Lyric for Strings	Baltimore School for the Arts String Orchestra
Walton	Façade	Baltimore School for the Arts Faculty Ensemble
Wieniawski	Violin Concerto, No. 2	Baltimore School for the Arts
OPERA:
Britten	Albert Herring	Peabody Opera Department Mainstage Production
Donnizetti	Rita	Peabody Student Opera Theater
Mozart, W.A.	Arias & Ensembles from Die Zauberflöte, The Marriage of Figaro, & Cosi fan Tutte	Baltimore School for the Arts
	Die Zauberflöte (Backstage/Assistant Conductor)	Baltimore Lyric Opera
Puccini	Gianni Schicchi	Northwestern University Opera Theater
	Madama Butterfly (Back stage/Assistant Conductor)	Baltimore Lyric Opera
Rossini	The Barber of Seville (Backstage/Assistant Conductor)	Baltimore Lyric Opera
POPS:
Akpabot	Three Nigerian Dances	The Savannah Symphony Orchestra
Anderson	Sleighride	The Savannah Symphony Orchestra
	The Typewriter	The Savannah Symphony Orchestra
Berlin/Bennett	White Christmas	The Savannah Symphony Orchestra
Carmichael	Georgia on My Mind	The Savannah Symphony Orchestra
Chase	Christmas Memories	The Savannah Symphony Orchestra
Demos	The Little Engine	The Savannah Symphony Orchestra
Ellington/Bennett	Duke Ellington! A Medley	The Savannah Symphony Orchestra
Holcombe/Rothrock	Festive Sounds of Hannukah	The Savannah Symphony Orchestra
Loesser/Custer	Music from Guys and Dolls	The Savannah Symphony Orchestra
Mercer	Moon River	The Savannah Symphony Orchestra
Rodgers	Medley from Oklahoma, Sound of Music	The Savannah Symphony Orchestra
	Music from South Pacific	The Savannah Symphony Orchestra
	Music from Carousel	Baltimore School for the Arts Orchestra
CHORAL - ORCHESTRAL:
Bach, JS	Gott ist mein König, Cantata 71	Boston University Repertory Chorus and Orchestra
	Saint John Passion, (Selections)	Oregon Bach Festival Orchestra and Chorus
	Orchestra and Chorus Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis, Cantata 21	Collegium Vocale
Barber	Agnus Dei	Collegium Vocale
Bernstein	Selections from Mass and Candide	Collegium Vocale
Brahms	Alto Rhapsody, Op. 53 and Nänie, Op. 82	Collegium Vocale
Dello Joio	To Saint Cecilia	Collegium Vocale
Händel	Messiah	The Savannah Symphony Orchestra
Haydn	"Lord Nelson" Mass	Collegium Vocale
Mozart, W.A.	Requiem, K. 626	Peabody Conservatory
	Missa Brevis in F Major, K. 192	Boston University Repertory Chorus & Orchestra
Orff	Carmina Burana	Peabody Conservatory Choruses and Orchestra
Pinkham	Christmas Cantata	Collegium Vocale
Schubert	Mass in G	Savannah Country Day School Chorus & Orchestra
Schütz	Psalm 150	Collegium Vocale
Vaughan-Williams	Serenade to Music	Collegium Vocale
WORLD PREMIERES:
Allen, Jason	Tears of Eros	Peabody Symphony Orchestra
Klatzow, Peter	Toward the Light	Peabody Concert Singers
Nelson, Paul	Chamber Symphony	Peabody Conservatory Players
Stone, Stephen	Motet for Chamber Orchestra	Baltimore School for the Arts Chamber Players

ADDITIONAL WORKS CONDUCTED WITH ORCHESTRA

AS ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR OR IN CONDUCTING WORKSHOPS
Bach, CPE	Sinfonie No. 2 in Bb
Bach, JS	Magnificat
Barber	Adagio for Strings
Bartok	Concerto for Orchestra
Beethoven	Symphonies Nos. 1,2,4,5,6,7,8, & 9, and Mass in C Major
Bernstein	Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, "Kaddish" Symphony
Bizet	Symphony in C Major
Brahms	Symphonies Nos. 1,3,& 4, Variations on a Theme by Haydn, and Ein Deutsches Requiem
Bruckner	Symphony No. 4
Copland	Appalachian Spring (Versions for Full Orchestra and Thirteen Instruments)
Diamond	Rounds
Debussy	La Mer and Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune
Dvořák	Symphonies Nos. 6, 7, & 8, Serenades Opus 22 and 44 and Slavonic Dances, Op. 72
Fauré	Requiem
Goodwin	Paraph for Clarinet and Orchestra
Holst	Saint Paul's Suite
Honneger	King David
Husa	Divertimento for String Orchestra
Janacek	Idyll
Jones	In Retrospect and Elegy
Mendelssohn	"Italian" Symphony
	Incidental Music to A Midsummer Night's Dream
Milhaud	Creation du Monde
Mozart	Symphonies Nos. 25, 29, 38, 40 & 41, Divertimenti K. 136-138, Piano Concerto in F Major; Marriage of Figaro; Cosi fan Tutte
Mussorgsky	Night on Bald Mountain
Nicolai	Overture to The Merry Wives of Windsor
Poulenc	Gloria
Prokofiev	Symphony No. 5; Romeo and Juliet Suites 2 & 3
Puccini	La Bohème
Rachmaninov	Symphony No. 2
Rossini	Overture to La Gazza Ladra
Saint-Saens	Cello Concerto No. 1, and Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso
Schoenberg	Verklärte Nacht
Schubert	"Unfinished" Symphony, Mass in G Major
Schumann	Symphony No. 2, Op. 61
Sibelius	Romance in C, Violin Concerto, and Finlandia
Strauss, J.	Tales from the Vienna Woods
Strauss, R.	Death and Transfiguration, Don Juan, Till Eulenspiegel, Rosenkavalier Suite, Four Last Songs
Stravinsky	The Rite of Spring, 1919 Firebird Suite, 1947 Petroushka, Dumbarton Oaks, and Octet
Suppe	Overture to Morning, Noon, and Night in Vienna
Tchaikovsky	Symphonies Nos. 4 & 6, Capriccio Italien, Violin Concerto
Vaughan-Williams	English Folk Songs Suite
Verdi	Requiem
Wagner	Siegfried Idyll, Overture to Die Meistersinger , Preludes to Acts 1 & 3 from Lohengrin
Ward	Euphony for Orchestra and Invocation and Toccata

CURRENT CONDUCTING POSITIONS

Music Director: Richmond Philharmonic, Richmond, VA	8/2004 - present
Conduct, rehearse, and program full season for 70-member orchestra Deliver Pre-Concert Lectures Participate in grant writing, fund-raising, and strategic decision making Performance highlights for 2006-2007 season include Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5, De Falla Three Cornered Hat, and an interactive performance of Saint-Saens Symphony No. 3, "Organ"
Director of Orchestras: Baltimore School for the Arts, Baltimore, MD	8/2002 - present
Conduct the Orchestras at one of the National Endowment for the Arts-rated "Top five arts schools in the country." Performance highlights for 2006-2007 include Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue, Britten Soirées Musicales, and Dvořák Serenade for Strings

RECENT CONDUCTING POSITIONS

Resident Conductor: Peabody Conservatory, Baltimore, MD	8/2003 - 6/2006
Conductor of main stage opera production of Sondheim A Little Night Music Chorus Master of Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's performance of Adams On the Transmigration of Souls Conducted orchestras and choruses in performances and rehearsals Conducted orchestral and choral readings and recordings of student compositions Taught graduate level choral repertoire course
Assistant Conductor: Baltimore Lyric Opera	9/2001 - 6/2004
Served as Assistant and Backstage Conductor for performances and rehearsals of Barber of Seville, Die Zauberflöte, and Madame Butterfly Coach principal singers and chorus
Associate Conductor: Peabody Opera Theater - Albert Herring	8/2002 - 11/2002
Conducted performance and rehearsals of Peabody Conservatory's main-stage of Albert Herring
Graduate Assistant: Peabody Conservatory Conducting Department	9/2001 - 5/2003
Served as Assistant Conductor for Orchestra, Choral, and Opera Programs Conducted rehearsals and performances of Peabody Symphony Orchestra, Choral Ensembles, and Opera Productions
Music Director and Conductor: Collegium Vocale - Atlanta, Georgia	6/1999 - 6/2001
Conducted and programmed music for auditioned 70 member chorus Contracted and conducted professional musicians for performances Recorded & marketed compact discs of performances Participated in grant writing and associated interviews, doubling state funding
Guest Conductor: Savannah Symphony Orchestra (Georgia)	10/1997 - 6/2001
Conducted Lollipops, Outreach, Benefit, and Young People's Concerts Conducted the Savannah Symphony Civic (Youth) Orchestra Presented Pre-Concert Lectures & composed YPC Program Notes

LECTURES/ANNOTATIONS

Pre-concert Lecturer: National Philharmonic & Baltimore Symphony Orchestra	4/2001 - present
Program Annotator: Concert Artists of Baltimore	9/2001 - present
Pre-concert Lecturer, Program Annotator, Youth Concert Narrator: The Savannah Symphony Orchestra	10/1997 - 6/2001

EDUCATION

Peabody Conservatory, Baltimore, Maryland	8/2001 - 5/2006
Doctor of Musical Arts in Orchestral Conducting Gustav Meier & Markand Thakar, instructors. GPA 3.98; Full-Scholarship Graduate Assistantship
Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts	8/1995 - 6/1997
Masters of Music in Conducting GPA 3.98; Dean's Scholar and Departmental Honoree
Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois	9/1991 - 6/1995
Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance GPA 3.86; Dean's List/National Dean's List

RECENT CONDUCTING WORKSHOPS

American Symphony Orchestra League Workshops: Conducting Participant	May 2003 & Feb 2004
Robert Spano, Michael Morgan, James Paul, Duain Wolf, Alasdair Neale, Carl St. Clair and Barbara Yahr, instructors
Concordia Orchestra Conductor's Workshop: Auditor	April 2002
Marin Alsop and Gustav Meier, instructors
Oregon Bach Festival: Conducting Participant	Summer 2000
Helmut Rilling and Thomas Summerville, instructors
Aspen Music Festival and School: Seminar Conductor	Summer 1999
Murry Sidlin and Peter Jaffe, instructors
Conductor's Guild Workshops: Conducting Participant	1/2000 & 3/1999
Murry Sidlin, Kenneth Kiesler, Adrian Gnam, and Rossen Milanov, instructors
Robert Shaw Conducting Workshops: Invited Participant	Fall 1997 & Fall 1998
Robert Shaw, instructor

ADDITIONAL MUSICAL TRAINING

Vocal Studies

Choral: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus (1990-2001), Chamber Chorus and Robert Shaw Memorial Singers (1999-2001); Accepted into ASOC as a High School Senior; Oregon Bach Festival Chorus (2001); Conductors: Robert Shaw, Roberto Abbado, John Nelson, Robert King, Robert Spano, Yoel Levi, Donald Runnicles, Ann Howard Jones, Helmut Rilling, and Bernard Labadie. Solo: Conductors include Robert Shaw, James Conlon, and Ann Jones. Opera: Susanna, The Marriage of Figaro; Belinda, Dido and Aeneas; Mlle. Silberklang, The Impresario.

Piano Studies

9 years private study prior to college; Accompanying and score reading skills

AWARDS AND PRIZES

Mark K. Joseph Professional Development Award	2006
Peabody Conservatory Baltimore Music Club Prize in Performance	2003
Peabody Conservatory Career Development Grant	2003
Women's Philharmonic Conducting Scholarship	2003
Peabody Conservatory Full Graduate Assistantship	2001-2003
Finalist for Thelma A. Robinson/Conductor's Guild Award	1999
Aspen Summer Music School Scholarship Recipient	1999
Boston University Dean's Scholar	1995-1997
Pi Kappa Lambda, Dean's List	1991-1997
Chicago National Associate for Teachers of Singing, Finalist/Honorable Mention	1995

ARTS ADMINISTRATION

Operations and Education Associate: Baltimore Symphony Orchestra	5/2004 - 1/2005
Organized and managed operational activities for Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's outdoor summer concert series, including audio engineers, food vendors, county emergency personnel, fireworks, programs, and corporate acknowledgment Developed and organized statewide audition for high school students to receive the opportunity to play Bachianas Brasileiras with Yo Yo Ma and members of the BSO. In such capacity, determined judging guidelines, managed all correspondence with applicants, conducted rehearsals, and assisted with publicity
Director of Education: Savannah Symphony Orchestra (Georgia)	6/2000 - 5/2001
Directed all aspects of education program: 3 ensembles, 4 scholarship programs, in-school demos, young peoples concerts, funding, and school board relations Developed Partners in Learning Advocating Youth, a comprehensive program designed to unify all aspects of the SSO's education department in collaboration with the school board, public school teachers, the symphony board, and orchestra members. Wrote grant proposal for the NEA Wrote grant applications in conjunction with Development Director Served as liaison for Outreach Committee, Education Committee, the SSO Board of Directors, local teachers, and Executive Director
Interim Head Librarian: Savannah Symphony Orchestra (Georgia)	12/1999 - 2/2000
Served as Librarian during critical transitional period for the department

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

American Symphony Orchestra League

Conductor's Guild

American Choral Director's Association

Pi Kappa Lambda

College Music Society

LANGUAGES

Reading, Speaking, and Aural Knowledge of French and German

Singer's diction in Italian, Latin, French, German, and English

ADDITIONAL MATERIALS

References, Video Tapes, and Audio Recordings Available upon Request

"Female Empowerment

"Erin Freeman keeps ego out of conducting the Richmond Philharmonic."

Some of Richmond's lawyers, nurses, writers, retired folks, high school students and scientists have one thing in common: the Richmond Philharmonic Orchestra. On Monday nights, they gather at Grace Baptist Church to rehearse under the direction of Erin R. Freeman. "Our members are auditioned volunteers, so we strive to maintain a balance between fun and great performance," Freeman says. Aaron Ellerbrock and Dave Townsend both inspired the upcoming pops concert entitled "Broadway!" They will solo, not on their usual orchestral instruments, but with their voices, singing variations on such Gershwin classics as "Nice Work If You Can Get It" and "America the Beautiful."

Freeman is multitalented too. Trained as a singer, she grew up in Atlanta and was the youngest member of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus under the direction of the late Robert Shaw. She realized then that what she loved about music was the ensemble. Now at the end of her second year with the Philharmonic, Freeman recently received her doctorate of musical arts in orchestral conducting from Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore. That's where she saw an ad for a job opening at the Richmond Philharmonic. Freeman, along with four finalists, had to run weekly rehearsals and give a concert before she was finally offered the position here. "I really got to know the orchestra and members," she says. With Freeman as the Philharmonic conductor, and Sarah Hatsuko Hicks as the associate conductor of the Richmond Symphony, Richmond has become a hotbed for the hard-to-find woman orchestra conductor. "I think conducting requires a certain kind of ego, the kind of ego that women are taught to suppress because we're caregivers," Freeman says. "But you have to be decisive as a conductor and get over the fact that not everyone is going to agree with you." Freeman seems to have her ego under control. "I like the way what I do is a group effort," she says. "It's not just about me. It's about all people giving of themselves." Next year, Freeman takes Richmond on a tour of the world. In the fall, the Philharmonic's program will feature Russian composers Rimsky-Korsakov and Rachmaninoff. In the winter, Spanish works will be performed. The spring will bring works by French composers like Debussy and Ravel. Preconcert lectures and interactive performances will also help the music become more accessible to everyone next year. "For example, in the French program, we'll talk about how the French language influences rhythm in music," Freeman says. These tactics all work under the mission of the Richmond Philharmonic Orchestra: to promote the art and appreciation of classical orchestral music for audiences of all kinds and give local musicians the opportunity to develop and show off their orchestral talents.

Chantal Panozzo, Style Weekly Richmond, June 14, 2006

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