Victoria Racz
Presents the 30th Annual
This is last year's info - new info coming soon!!
(Date will be Saturday, August 17, 2024 - check
out our Seminar History Page!)
Saturday, August 19, 2023
First Evangelical Church
4120 NE St Johns Rd
Vancouver, WA 98661
Wind Quintetting with Toyin!
Oboist Toyin Spellman-Diaz earned her Bachelors of Music degree from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and her Master’s and Professional Studies degrees at the Manhattan School of Music. Her orchestral career includes performances with the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Civic Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.
Hailed by the Washington Post for her “smooth, controlled tone and excellent technique,” Toyin has performed concertos with the Chicago Civic Orchestra, Manhattan Virtuosi, and with the Kennedy Center Youth Orchestra.
An original member of Imani Winds, Ms. Spellman-Diaz has built her career as a champion of contemporary chamber music.
Along with her Imani Winds colleagues, she is devoted to discovering new and diverse musical voices and cultures to increase and enhance the woodwind quintet repertoire. She has also collaborated with some of today’s most influential chamber music ensembles, including Alarm Will Sound, the Antara Ensemble and Camerata Pacifica. She is on faculty at New York University
and the Curtis Institute of Music, and is on the Board of Directors of American Composer's Orchestra.
Also featuring the Con Grazia Wind Quintet to play with selected Seminar participants in Ms. Spellman-Diaz's afternoon master class, and the quintet will also perform on the evening concert.
Our evening concert is Saturday, August 19 at 7:30 at First Evangelical Church in Vancouver, WA. Tickets are $15 and available at the door. There will be a reception following the concert with products available from our sponsors: MCW Woodwinds, and RDG Woodwinds. Jones Double Reed Products is also sponsoring.
Our seminar is designed for intermediate to advanced oboists, and this is a day-long seminar devoted to all aspects of oboe performance with a different focus each year. For participants the day includes a solo master class (with pianist), instrument maintenance and repair, ensemble playing, dinner, and an evening concert featuring all seminar participants and staff.
The participation fee is $125. This includes evening meal, "Reed Tips Clinic" with Brent Hages, Seminar T-shirt, accompanist (if needed), and minor repairs/mini workshop by Mark Chudnow. Application deadline for participants is July 31. Due to the large number of applicants and the limited number of openings, applicants may be requested to submit a recent video clip to demonstrate their playing ability.
Auditor fee is $40. Auditors do not need to pre-register and may pay at the door. They will attend the afternoon class with our guest from 2:30 - 4:00 (times are approximate), and also receive a ticket for the evening performance at 7:30 pm. Entry will be through the main, front doors of the church. Auditors, please have your $40 cash or checks ready (made out to the Northwest Oboe Seminar), and be sure to pick up your concert ticket! (An accompanying parent for any minors will not be charged an auditor fee.) We should also have an option for Square payment.
Application (App for 2024 coming soon):
Participant payment (or donations!):
We are a 501(c)3 organization.
Roger Samuel Memorial Scholarship: This scholarship is a gift from previous (and current!) Seminar attendee Denise Wilson, and will fully cover the Seminar fee for one participant for this year's event. It is open to anyone who has been a previous Northwest Oboe Seminar participant. To apply please submit a letter with your application detailing why you would be a good candidate for this award, including financial need.
Seminar History Page (Click to go to that page)
SEMINAR STAFF: (Click on any name to go to Bios page)
Victoria Racz, Seminar Director
Kathy Stockwell-Riemann, Seminar Assistant
Brent Hages, Reed Tips Clinician
Nicole Buetti, Bassoonist
Michael Liu, Seminar Pianist
Mark Chudnow, Seminar Instrument Technician
Mark Chudnow will be joining us again in 2023, and will have some openings available for oboe, oboe d’amore, and English horn adjustment. Price TBD. Contact him at mcwoboe@earthlink.net or 415-694-9548 to make your appointment. (Minor adjustments free for Seminar Participants.)
Northwest Oboe Seminar Sponsors:
https://www.mcwoboe.com/
https://www.rdgwoodwinds.com/
http://www.jonesdoublereed.com/
Northwest Oboe Seminar Internship Program!!
This is a program I've been wanting to start for several years, but I just needed the right person to kick it off, and now I've found her!
Emily Liu is 13 years old. She has been playing oboe for about a year, studying with Victoria Racz. She plays oboe in the concert band at her school and piano in jazz band.Other than oboe, she has also been playing piano for nine years, starting when she was four with Dr. Natasha Agilina in New Jersey. After moving to Texas, she studied with Dr. Daredjan Baya Kakouberi, and is currently studying with Cinda Goold Redman in Washington. She won third place in the 2022 OPUS music competition in Washington state. She has won many local piano festivals over the years. She also plays ukulele and guitar. In addition to music, Emily participates in Science Olympiad, knowledge bowl, and math team in school. She enjoys playing tennis with family and friends, and competes in various local tournaments.
Emily will observe throughout the day, and will perform in the morning master class only if time allows. She will also rehearse and perform with our large ensemble for the evening concert!
Those that wish to apply for 2024 should contact Victoria after this year's event.
