Dr. Doreen Rao joined the Faculty of Music in 1988, after having been assistant conductor with the Chicago Symphony Chorus. She had made her conducting debut in at London’s Royal Festival Hall in 1980 and went on to make her Carnegie Hall Debut in May 1990 with the Manhattan Philharmonic. She authored numerous choral textbooks and has held clinics around the world. While at U of T Dr. Rao founded the International Bach Festival with fellow conductor Helmuth Rilling. Dr. Rao was the inaugural Elmer Iseler Chair in Conducting at the Faculty of Music and retired at the end of the 2009-2010 academic year.
In the featured photo, taken during the 1990-91 academic year, is Dr. Rao with the Concert Choir. In the back row third from the right is Grammy winner soprano Dr. Barbara Hannigan. Barbara has subsequently developed a conducting career and according to the concert program 90-91 Concert Choir – Dec 1 [pdf, 6mb] what may well have been her conducting debut at the Faculty was at the December 1990 performance.
This Saturday Dr. Rao will be giving a lecture and demonstration at 4:45 pm in room 330 at Becoming Eleanor Stubley: Beyond the Given. Please join us all day beginning at 8:30 am in Walter Hall.