Artistic Director Roger Briggs

Critics repeatedly praise conductor Roger Briggs' performances with words like "dazzling", "vibrant" "brilliant" and "masterful". He has guest conducted in Europe and the United States, and recorded with such internationally renown orchestras as the London Symphony and the Prague Symphony-- for a total discography of six CD releases. He has performed with internationally acclaimed artists including Leon Fleisher, Ursula Oppens, Jennifer Koh, Evelyn Glennie, Orion Weiss, Alicia Weilerstein, Jana Bouskova, and Corey Cerovsek.

Mr. Briggs has been the Artistic Director of the Whatcom Symphony since 1996. Under his leadership the orchestra has expanded to an award winning, critically acclaimed, regional orchestra, consistently drawing large enthusiastic audiences. He founded the Whatcom Symphony Chamber Orchestra, the Music by American Composers commissioning series, the Chamber Music NOW! program, and has assisted in establishing an impressive orchestral/educational outreach program in the Bellingham area.

Mr. Briggs is equally at home with contemporary scores, founding the Michiana New Music Ensemble in South Bend, IN, and the Contemporary Chamber Players at Western Washington University. He has guest conducted established contemporary ensembles such as the New Performance Group, Zephyr, and Fear No Music.

With an international reputation as a composer, he most recently received the prestigious Lieberson Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters in New York. His works have been performed in Carnegie Hall, the Chicago Cultural Arts Center, Glinka Hall in St. Petersburg, Warsaw's Frederic Chopin Academy, and Benaroya Hall. He is the recipient of numerous awards, honors and fellowships.

Dr. Briggs, who has served on the faculty of Western Washington University since 1989, was born in Florence Alabama in 1952. Briggs was educated at the University of Memphis receiving his Bachelor's Degree in Music Composition and Piano Performance. He continued his studies at the Eastman School of Music, receiving a Masters Degree and a Ph.D. in Music Composition. He studied conducting with Gustav Meier and composition with Samuel Adler, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, and Pulitzer Prizewinning composers Joseph Schwanter and Ned Rorem.

In 2010, Dr. Briggs’ work with the WSO was recognized by the League of American Orchestras with an ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming.

More information is available at www.rogerbriggs.com