Charles Ketcham
Charles Ketcham has conducted many of the major orchestras in the United States, including the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Dallas Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony, The Denver Symphony and the Portland Symphony. He has held the positions of Resident Conductor with the Utah Symphony and the San Diego Symphony as well as Music Director of the San Diego Master Chorale and Principal Conductor of Ballet West. He has also served as principle guest conductor of the Utah Opera.
In 1963 and 1964 Mr. Ketcham studied conducting with Eric Leinsdorf at the Tanglewood Institute. In 1969, a Fullbright Fellowship enabled Mr. Ketcham to study in Vienna with the renowned Wolfgang Sawallisch. During that period, he also served as Music Director of the American Opera Workshop in Vienna. In 1970 he was appointed Associate Conductor of the Gulbenkian Orchestra, conducting tours throughout Portugal, Spain and Africa. He served in that capacity until 1974.
In 1974 Mr. Ketcham returned to the United States to assume the post of resident conductor of the San Diego Symphony. At that time he became one the first recipients of the prestigious Exxon Arts Endowment Conductors Award. As artistic director of the San Diego Symphony's summer concerts and Young People's concerts, he more than doubled attendance with innovative programming and establishment of audience rapport.
Mr. Ketcham has conducted orchestras in France (the Radio Orchestra of Lille), Italy, Holland and Denmark (Alborg). His most recent appearances have been with the Philharmonia of London, the Park City International Music Festival, and the Munich Symphony Orchestra where he made recordings for several episodes of the "Indiana Jones" film series.
After his appearance with the Symphony of the New World at Carnegie Hall, the New York Times reported: "One of the sternest challenges in the symphonic repertory, Bruckner's Fourth Symphony ... was a superior effort by all ... A healthy share of the credit should go to Charles Ketcham."
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said of his Pittsburgh Symphony appearance: "Ketcham's best work was in Stravinsky's 'Firebird Suite'. Everything was very much in place. He provided a stable underlying pulse, clear entrances throughout, a strong crescendo of energy in 'The Infernal Dance' and a sense of poetry in the 'Lullaby'."
Mr. Ketcham has recorded with the Utah Symphony for RCA Red Label, Pro Arte and Varase Saraband.