Kansas City – USA
Carolyn Watson is originally from Sydney and has lived in the USA since 2013. She is the Music Director at the LA PORTE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA in Indiana, Principal Guest Conductor of the KANSAS CITY CHAMBER ORCHESTRA and is the Director Of Orchestras at the UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS.
A major prizewinner at the 2012 EMMERICH KÃLMÃN INTERNATIONAL OPERETTA CONDUCTING COMPETITION in Budapest, she has been also a Fellow of the American Academy of Conducting at the ASPEN MUSIC FESTIVAL where she studied with David Zinman.
She has been the recipient of the SIR CHARLES MACKERRAS CONDUCTING PRIZE awarded via the AUSTRALIAN MUSIC FOUNDATION in London, OPERA FOUNDATION AUSTRALIA’s BAYREUTH OPERA AWARD, the BERLIN NEW MUSIC OPERA AWARD and the NELLY APT CONDUCTING SCHOLARSHIP. A Churchill Fellow, she has been the beneficiary of support from the AMERICAN AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATION’S DAME JOAN SUTHERLAND FUND and a SHEILA PRYOR STUDY GRANT from the AUSTRALIAN OPERA AUDITIONS COMMITTEE.
In 2017 she was one of six conductors selected for the elite DALLAS OPERA INSTITUTE FOR WOMEN CONDUCTORS and has participated in master classes with Marin Alsop, Peter Eötvös, Yoel Levi, Martyn Brabbins and Alex Polishchuk. She conducted musicians of the BERLIN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA in its INTERAKTION program and was Musical Assistant at the STAATSOPER BERLIN for its INFEKTION! festival celebrating the works of John Cage. She was resident at the ISRAELI NATIONAL OPERA and assisted Sir Charles Mackerras on his final two productions, THE CUNNING LITTLE VIXEN at THE ROYAL OPERA COVENT GARDEN and COSI FAN TUTTE at GLYNDEBOURNE FESTIVAL OPERA.
In the USA Watson’s conducting engagements have included performances with the AUSTIN SYMPHONY, DETROIT SYMPHONY CIVIC ORCHESTRA, COLUMBUS INDIANA PHILHARMONIC, CAPE SYMPHONY, SOUTH BEND SYMPHONY, TRAVERSE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA and the WORLD YOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA. From 2013-15 she held the prestigious position of Music Director of the INTERLOCHEN ARTS ACADEMY ORCHESTRA, her work with the orchestra being awarded the 2015 AMERICAN PRIZE FOR ORCHESTRAL PERFORMANCE.
In Australia her recent engagements include concerts with the MONASH ACADEMY ORCHESTRA during 2022 and 2024 and with the BARRIER REEF ORCHESTRA.
Her opera conducting has included HANSEL & GRETEL for AMARILLO OPERA. conducting the world premiere production of Sarah Kirkland Snider’s opera, PENELOPE, a season of LISTEN, WILHEMINA! and a double-bill of Menotti’s THE OLD MAID & THE THIEF and Barber’s A HAND OF BRIDGE all for LYRIC OPERA OF KANSAS CITY and the company’s OPERA AMERICA 50TH ANNIVERSARY events in 2020. 2020 was also included her engagement by OUTERLANDS PRODUCTIONS’ for premiere production of Gordon Getty’s opera GOODBYE MR. CHIPS at FESTIVAL NAPA VALLEY.
2021 included her conducting of DES MOINES METRO OPERA‘s season of FELLOW TRAVELERS performances of which, OPERA TODAY wrote, The colorful, compact instrumentation achieves an astonishing variety of effects, especially as conducted by the poised and gifted Carolyn Watson. With efficiently clear baton work, and an obvious deep commitment to the emotional resonance of the piece, Maestra Watson made a very persuasive case for the opera’s many strengths. Her interpretation effortlessly balanced poignant intimacy with dramatic sweep.
And 2025 will see her conduct Peter Brooks’ LA TRAGÉDIE DE CARMEN at TULSA OPERA.
© Weaver Artist Management 2024
RECORDINGS
All enquiries to Jeff Weaver at Weaver Artist Management