THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, June 28, 1996 TAG: 9606260099
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 109 lines
Things in Scott M. Williamson's life are in perfect harmony.
In May, the 25-year-old son of Gary Williamson and Linda Williamson received a Master of Music degree with distinction in choral conducting and vocal performance from Westminster Choir College of Rider University.
While performing with the prestigious Westminster Choir, he has already toured Taiwan and Korea, recorded with some of the best known orchestras and conductors in the world, is on his way to tour Europe for a combination summer performance/study tour and will study with Dutch soprano Elly Ameling in England.
And if that isn't enough, when the 1989 Western Branch High School graduate returns to the states from his European experience, he will immediately take up duties as a member of the Washington and Lee University music faculty as a voice teacher and director of the school choir.
Williamson performed at a recital last Friday at the Churchland Baptist Church for the hometown folks while in Chesapeake visiting his family.
The 25-year-old possesses a clear and strong tenor voice and has a very deep knowledge of classical music, choral music, opera, lieder (German songs) and classical voice.
But he wasn't a child music sensation.
``My dad sang in the church choir, and my grandmother took piano lessons but it wasn't as if I were a prodigy or anything,'' he said. ``I guess it just sort of evolved.''
What helped Williamson's musical ``evolution'' was getting the opportunity to sing for Dennis Price, long-time state and regional award-winning choir director at Western Branch High School, who retired this year.
``I took piano lessons with Dr. Price's wife, so when I went to junior high and high school I began to sing in his choirs,'' Williamson said. ``I had a cousin who was in the choir and he encouraged me to join. Ever since then I was very active in the Western Branch Chorus.''
His high school musical activities led him to enroll at James Madison University to major in music. He graduated in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in music and went on to study at the prestigious Westminster Choir College in Princeton, N.J.
That's when his performing career really took off.
While at Westminster, he participated in several of the school's opera productions and even conducted some of the performances.
``Opera always appealed to me, but it wasn't until after I auditioned for it that I really became hooked,'' he said. ``I've seen as many of the Virginia Opera productions as I could and I performed in many at Westminster and was also in the Spoleto Festival Opera Choir.''
While a member of the 175-member Westminster Symphonic Choir, Williamson recorded Benjamin Britten's ``War Requiem,'' Hindemith's ``War Requiem'' and Bach's ``St. John's Passion'' with the Philadelphia Orchestra. He also sang solo and with the choir in the New York Philharmonic's version of Arthur Honegger's ``Joan of Arc'' along with Brahms' ``Requiem'' and Edvard Grieg's ``Peer Gynt Suite.''
Those New York recordings are on Teldec Records and are conducted by the world famous Kurt Masur.
From the Symphonic Choir, Williamson was able to join the exclusive 40-member Westminster Choir, which made several recordings on the Delos labels, including a collection of Brahms' smaller works.
As a member of the choir, he was also able to tour Taiwan and Korea during a rather sensitive time.
``It was right at the time of the Taiwanese elections and Red China's saber rattling and missile tests,'' Williamson said. ``It was very tense over there, but it was at the same time a very fascinating period to experience. The country was really alive. It was also fascinating since both countries have such different cultures as ours. But they really do appreciate western music. That's why we were there.''
Performing schedules in both Asian countries were extremely tight and choir members had little time to tour. But Williamson said he was still able to explore some Buddhist temples in Taiwan and take a bus trip through Korea's mountainous regions.
After a few weeks in Chesapeake, visiting family and friends, Williamson will once again pack his passport and join up with the Westminster Choir for a July 4 performance at the Colmar Music Festival near Strasbourg, France.
From France, he will travel to Weimar, Germany, where he will spend some time at the Franz Liszt Hochschule to study lieder and opera and perform at a nearby international music festival.
During his off time, Williamson said he hopes to visit either Vienna or Prague.
From Aug. 5 through 27, he will journey to Bayreuth, Germany, to be part of a youth music festival and to study and later perform the vocal quartet work of Brahms and Schumann.
And finally, he goes over the channel from Aug. 30 to Sept. 8 for advanced music study in song cycles with Elly Ameling, a very rare and prestigious position he had to audition for in New York City several months ago.
Williamson said he had to send in a detailed resume and several references and then participate in several auditions before he was finally chosen to study with Ameling.
``I found out about the opportunity from an audition board at school,'' he said. ``It's a chance of a lifetime. That's for sure. And coincidently I had the opportunity to study under Dalton Baldwin, who teaches at Westminster and is Elly Ameling's piano accompanist.''
After study with Ameling, Williamson will hardly have a chance to catch his breath.
``I get back Sept. 9 and have to audition singers for the (Washington and Lee University) choir on Sept. 11 and classes start on the 12th,'' he said, rolling his eyes. ``But I'm not complaining. A lot of things I've only dreamt about have come together. I feel very fortunate.''
For the future, Williamson hopes to continue to study and learn music, voice and choral directing. He wants to hone his teaching skills. He would like travel again to Germany, and he hopes to participate in the upcoming Schumann Bicentennial. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by STEVE EARLEY
Scott M. Williamson, 25, who is performing with the prestigious
Westminster Choir, has toured Taiwan and Korea, recorded with some
of the best known orchestras and conductors in the world and is on
his way to tour Europe for a combination summer performance/study
tour and will study with Dutch soprano Elly Ameling in England. by CNB