OCP History and Photo Gallery
(Best viewed on a desktop)
In 1993 Timoteus and Victoria Racz moved to West Linn, Oregon, and shortly after that, Timoteus began teaching violin in the European method at Marylhurst College. Victoria was brought on as the oboe professor later in 1993. They were also both playing with a chamber orchestra in Portland and in 1994 Victoria coordinated a Valentine's Day fundraising gala at the Marriott in Portland that featured Strauss waltzes (with dance instructors, of course!). When the newly-appointed conductor of that group let us know shortly before the event that he actually wouldn't be able to travel out here on that date, Timoteus stepped forward to lead the group in a traditional conductorless style, and the evening was a huge hit! Musicians let us know how much they enjoyed the experience, and our ensemble was born.
We met with the Marylhurst Music Department Chairman, David Deason, and he gave us the go-ahead to have our ensemble in-residence at the campus as the Marylhurst Chamber Players. Our debut concert was Sunday, March 12, 1995 at St. Anne's Chapel.
Victoria was (and still is!) the General Manager and responsible for contracting, programming, being music librarian, and administrative responsibilities such as PR, printing the programs, and often doing the program notes as well, though we had guest writers such as Jennifer I. Paull, Malcolm Miller, John Pitman, and several others.
Timtoeus was our Artistic Director and leader of our conductorless ensemble.
Our first program was Corelli's Concerto IX, Op. 6, #9 in F; Debussy's Reverie arranged for strings; Mozart's Divertimento No. 13, KV 253; and we ended with Mozart's Sinfonie in A, No. 29, KV 201.
Our personnel for that concert included violinists Timoteus Racz, Anne Emery, Marty Hernandez, Joanne Wieman, Betsy Hatton, Wendy Savage, and Stacy Siess. Violists were Alicia Dunbar Gronke and Shauna Keyes. Cellists were Ann Neuman and Brenda Ewing Pleasance. Bass, Allen Regnier. Oboists were Victoria Racz and Sarah Pascoe (an OCP Student Apprenticeship Program participant), Bassoonists were Jennifer Bleth and Laura Groves, and horn players were Karla Isenberg and Jill Torberson. Mark Lambert played harpsichord.
These photos were taken June 1996 at St. Anne's Chapel, Marylhurst College
Violin 1: Timoteus Racz, Joy Fabos, Lori Porter Stole
Violin 2: Betsy Hatton, Stacy Siess, Linda Saxey
Violas: Carol Hawes, Wendy Savage
Cellos: Ann Neuman, Collin Heade
Bass: Elizabeth Turner
Flute: Phyllis Louke
Oboes: Victoria Racz, Kim Milliron (Russell)
Bassoons: Jennifer Bleth, Laura Groves
Horns: Kim Heron, Imani Rose
Harpsichord: Margaret Murer
Notable Historic Happenings:
*Name Change: June 9, 1996 from Marylhurst Chamber Players to OREGON CHAMBER PLAYERS!
*First board members:Timoteus Racz, Artistic Director; Bill Bartman, President; Jeanne Kojis; Vice President; Judi Lowe, Recording Secretary; Kristi Edwards, Treasurer; David Nelsen; Linda Parmer; Victoria Racz (Betsy Hatton, unoffical advisor/mentor)
*Incorporated in Oregon as a 501c3 on March 28, 1997
*Venue Change: Spring, 1997 First United Methodist Church (concert with organist Jonas Nordwall), Portland
*Venue Change: October 25, 1997, St. Stephen's Episcopal Parish, Portland
*Updated Logo: October 1997
*Our first Children's Concert - a momentous occasion! Saturday, February 28, 1998
Our special guest storybook reader and 'balladeer' was KGW's Carol Jensen.
It was also the debut of our Offical OCP Kazoo Orchestra
*Saturday, May 16, 1998 Timoteus's first performance of the entire Vivaldi Four Seasons. That comprised the first half of our program, and the second half featured our winds for the Strauss Serenade, Op. 7, and we ended with everyone performing Abel's delightful Symphony in Eb, Op. 10, No. 3.
*Venue Change for our Millennium Concert: Saturday, October 16, 1999, All Saints' Episcopal Church, Portland. As news of the imminent collapse of society due to Y2K was being broadcast, we planned our program accordingly with Timoteus's favorite piece, Bach's Brandenburg Concerto #4; "End of the Nineteenth Century" by Jose Altimira Rocha; Charles Ive's "The Unanswered Question"; and Haydn's aptly titled Symphony #45, the Farewell Symphony! (Program notes were provided by bassoon legend, Gordon Solie.)
*The return of our OCP Children's Concert on Saturday, February 26, 2000, All Saints' Episcopal Church, Portland. This concert marked the premier of Timoteus Racz's "Music Box", Op. 4, #1 for flute, clarinet, and strings. This concert was also the premier of Dr. Matt Doran's setting of "Roland, the Minstrel Pig" that the OCP commissioned! Victoria Racz found the book in a library and contacted author, William Steig, for his permission to have it set to music. She worked with Matt to create what would become a favorite piece for OCP and our audiences, and a composition that Matt said was one of his very best. This first performance featured tenor James Schmitt as Roland, and KGW's Dave Salesky as narrator.
At our concert reception we debuted our OCP Official Instrument Petting Zoo, and composer Matt Doran transformed into Narod the Magician!
Performance photo of "Music Box"
Violin I: Timoteus Racz and Ginia Strickland
Violin 2: Linda Saxey, Susan Charon
Viola: Ann Patterson
Cello: Ann Neuman, Collin Heade
Bass: Katie Nordone
Flute: Marc Grafe
Clarinet: John Gibson
*Debut performance of "Rondo Grandioso for Violin & Orchestra", Op. 3, #1 by Timoteus Racz, with Timoteus as soloist. Saturday, October 14, 2000
*Our first Audience Select Concert! Saturday, May 12, 2001. Audiences voted for the following program:
Timoteus Racz, March for Strings, Op. 4, #2
G.F. Handel, Water Music, Suite No. 1 in F
Arcangelo Corelli, Concerto Grosso, Op. 6, #8
F.J. Haydn, Symphony#73, La Chasse
Violin 1: Timoteus Racz, Erin Ferree
Violin 2: Alexander Gokhman, Rosemary Folan
Viola: Bev Gibson
Cello: Ann Neuman, Collin Heade
Bass: Katie Nordone
Flute: Marc Grafe
Oboe: Victoria Racz, Kim Milliron (Russell)
Bassoon: Margaret McShea
Horn: Kim Heron
Piano: Margaret Murer
*We're not sure of the exact year that Victoria created the sign, and obtained the bassoon from OCP French horn player Chris Mudd (he was/is also a band director in the Eugene area and the bassoon was in the 'junk' pile! The bassoon instrument stand was a later gift from renowned bassoonist and frequent OCP and Con Grazia Wind Quintet guest, Mark Eubanks.), but AllClassical (KBPS FM) host and audience member, Christa Wessel, was the first to snap a photo and then post it. Since then, it has gone viral, and you have probably seen it! And we have never heard a peep from the audience since we started using it...
*Guest soloist from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, oboist Dr. Stephen Caplan, performed Vivaldi's Concerto in D Minor, RV 454 for Oboe and Strings. October 11, 2003.
*Our 10th Season Anniversary kicked off on Saturday, October 9, 2004 with Handel's Mirtillo Suite, from the Opera "Il Pastor fido"; Two Melodies, Op. 53 by Grieg; Gluck's Menuet & Dance of the Blessed Spirits for flute and strings with soloist Rebecca Towers (Olson); Dvorak's Czech Suite, Op. 39 arranged for winds by Graham Sheen; and Mozart's Symphony #17, K. 129.
*Another of our popular OCP Children's Concerts with "Roland, the Minstrel Pig" by Steig and Doran. Roland was portrayed by tenor David Maier, and John Pitman from KBPS AllClassical FM narrated.
Saturday, February 21, 2004
Timoteus and David, both wearing their Golden Apples - the 'Supreme Medal of Excellence'!
(Golden Apples designed by board member, Gloria Duarte-Rivera)
Therese and Matt Doran, composer of "Roland, the Minstrel Pig", and MANY pieces for the OCP!
(Rehearsing Roland - singer David Maier, Timoteus, Rebecca, and Victoria)
*Second full performance of Vivaldi's Four Seasons with Timoteus Racz, soloist. Saturday, May 8, 2004. The Vivaldi opened the concert, and for the remainder of the program we performed Beethoven's Sextet, Op. 81b for 2 Horns, Flute, Oboe, and Bassoon, arranged by Kenneth C. Henslee; and Sinfonie No. 4, The Rescue of Andromeda by Perseus, Dittersdorf.
*October 22, 2005 - The first of our unique MYSTERY PIECE concerts! When Victoria sent out music to our musicians, she even blacked out the composer's name and any other identifying information to them. (Although Timoteus always guessed correctly. EVERY TIME.)
Ballots were passed out to audience members and collected at intermission, as we would always play the Mystery Piece on the first half. Winners (or those closest) would win wonderful prizes such as dinner certificates to Basta's Italian Restaurant that used to be near Portland's 23rd Street district, il Piatto, or Higgin's Restaurant in downtown Portland, for example.
Our first Mystery Piece turned out to be the Charles Stamitz Symphonie Concertante in C Major for two violin soloists and orchestra, featuring Timoteus, and Erin Ferree.
*February 18, 2006 was another Children's Concert, and this one featured the Con Grazia Wind Quintet, and international harmonica sensation, Joe Powers!
*Saturday, February 23, 2008 was our next Children's Concert with the return of everyone's favorite, "Roland, the Minstrel Pig", Steig/Doran. Tenor David Maier and John Pitman both returned for their roles as Roland, and the narrator. This concert was presented in part by The Kinsman Foundation.
Violin 1: Timoteus Racz, Tatiana Kolchanova
Violin 2: Rosemary Folan, Ginia Strickland
Viola: Bev Gibson
Cello: Collin Heade, Robert Brooks
Bass: Katie Nordone
Flute: Rebecca Towers (Olson), LeeAnn Sterling (McKenna)
Oboe: Victoria Racz, Dagny Rask Regan
Clarinet: John Gibson, Jill McClelland (Coykendall)
Bassoon: Margaret McShea
Horn: Chris Mudd, Wendy Peebles
Trombone: Greg Scholl, Doug Peebles
Keyboard: Ron Hylton
Guitar: Greg Scholl
Kazoomaster: Chris Mudd
Scenes from our Instrument Petting Zoo:
*Saturday, May 3, 2008 OCP SOLOISTS!
This concert, also presented in part by The Kinsman Foundation, featured our own OCP members.
Ron Hylton, Organ = Handel's Organ Concerto No. 1, Op. 4, #1
Rebecca Towers (Olson), flute = Godard's Suite of Three Pieces, Op. 116
Tatiana Kolchanova, violin = Timoteus Racz's Serenade for Violin Alone, Op. 2, #27
Robert Brooks, cello = Boccherini's Concerto Nr. 3, G. 480
Victoria Racz, oboe = World Premiere of Dr. Matt Doran's Three Movements for Oboe and Strings, dedicated to Victoria
We concluded the concert with the Symphony I by William Boyce.
*Saturday, October 18, 2008
The Double Reed Divas performed the Trio Magnifique, Op. 4, #6 by Timoteus Racz
(DRD = Victoria Racz - oboe & EH; Ann van Bever - oboe, oboe d'amore; Dagny Rask Regan - oboe, English horn)
*Saturday, February 21, 2009
OCP member Tatiana Kolchanova is the soloist on the Rondo Grandioso in D Major, Op. 3, #1 by Timoteus Racz
(Concert presented in part by The Kinsman Foundation.)
*Saturday, February 13, 2010
CHILDREN'S CONCERT!
This was the first appearance of special guest and friend, David Ogden Stiers!
Among other things, he narrated "The Great Race" (The Tortoise and the Hare) by David Mulliken, and great fun was had by all!
Violin 1: Timoteus Racz, Tatiana Kolchanova
Violin 2: Rosemary Folan, Ginia Strickland
Viola: Bev Gibson, Chris Fotinakis
Cello: Collin Heade, Pirate Robert Brooks
Bass: Katie Nordone
Flute/Piccolo: Rebecca Towers (Olson), LeeAnn McKenna (Sterling)
Oboe: Victoria Racz, Dagy Rask Regan, Ann van Bever
Clarinet: Jill Coykendall
Bassoon/Contra: Mark Eubanks, Dagny Rask Regan (Dagny's chair sponsored by Lila Saxon)
Horn: Chris Mudd, Wendy Peebles
Keyboard: Ron Hylton
Trombone: Doug Peebles
Percussion: Doug Peebles (drum set), Wendy Peebles (bells)
Kazoomeister: Chris Mudd
Song Leader: Chris Fotinakis
(The best photo EVER! All OCP Official Instrument Petting Zoo pics taken by Victoria Racz, and this has always been a favorite.
Dagny Rask Regan demonstrating the oboe for a person who will OBVIOUSLY be an oboist someday.)
*Saturday, May 7, 2011
Another one of our innovative AUDIENCE SELECT CONCERTS!
Entrance of the Queen of Sheba, from "Solomon", Intro, Act III, Handel
Wind Serenade, Op. 44, Dvorak
Mouvements Perpetuels, Poulenc
Sinfonia in G, P. 16, J.M. Haydn
Violin I: Timoteus Racz, Tatiana Kolchanova
Violin II: Gwen Sieben, Ginia Strickland
Viola: Bev Gibson
Cello: Collin Heade, Robert Brooks
Bass: Katie Nordone
Flute: Rebecca Towers (Olson)
Oboe/English horn: Victoria Racz, Dagny Rask Regan
Clarinet: Jill McClelland (Coykendall), Lisa Taylor
Bassoon: Ann Crandall, Patrick Quinn
Contrabassoon: Mark Eubanks
Horn: Melissa Winemiller (Robinson), Wendy Peebles, Daniel Partridge
Organ: Ron Hylton
Victoria Racz, Dagny Rask Regan, Timoteus Racz
Dan Partridge, Wendy Peebles, Melissa Winemiller (Robinson)
*October 22, 2011
One of our favorite concerts - OCP AT THE MOVIES!
This was hosted by Edmund Stone, and he and Cynthia were transported to the concert in a black stretch limo courtesy of Twilite Limousine and Tour Company!
Everyone walked the Red Carpet while paparazzi snapped pics and shouted questions while security looked on. Our Red Carpet MC was the stunning and effervescent Dorinda Toner who interviewed guests on their way into the event, and most guests took the opportunity for photographs in front of our backdrop prior to the concert, as well as afterwards at our reception.
Current Junior Symphony of Vancouver members helped out by ushering audience members in, and also handing out awards during the concert!
Edmund and Cynthia arriving to our event, and then being interviewed by Dorinda Toner while crowd control/security stands by
Edmund pausing for another autograph
Piano superstar Colleen Douglass-Adent stopping to sign an autograph while her husband, Nathan, smiles for the camera
The couple who won our Best Dressed Award!(Toby and Vickie Loftus.)
JSV members in their roles of Red Carpet Walkers, Paparazzi, Press, and Autograph Seekers
JSV members Ellie Coale, Rose Carr, and Lindsey Brown ready to hand out statuettes for various awards during the concert
More to come!