Allen Tinkham

Allen Tinkham is increasingly recognized as one of the most inspiring and exciting conductors and teachers of his generation. He is hailed by the Chicago Tribune as both a conductor and teacher, described as working “wonders” as one of the most important "educators, mentors and inspirational guides in the training of tomorrow's orchestral professionals” and defined by his “communicative” conducting producing “an adrenalin rush of superior playing.”

Under his leadership as the longtime Music Director of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras (CYSO), both the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun Times have described performances by the CYSO Symphony Orchestra as "professional level,"and under his baton, the Chicago Tribune has noted his “impressive” conducting and “uncanny control” and has compared the CYSO Symphony Orchestra's "ferocity and theatricality" to that of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Now in his third season as Music Director of the Chicago Composers Orchestra (CCO), Chicago Magazine reflected at his appointment on his “well-respected” conducting tenure in Chicago and advocacy of contemporary music, and he was recently praised by the Chicago Classical Review for leading the seven year old orchestra to perform with the “cohesion of a long-established chamber group.”

As an advocate and champion of contemporary music, Tinkham has won nine American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers National Awards for Adventurous Programming of Contemporary Music (ASCAP) with CYSO. He has premiered numerous new works for orchestra including commissions ranging from Augusta Reed Thomas to Glenn Kotche.

Following his Master of Conducting fellowship at the University of Michigan, Tinkham began his career at the Oregon Symphony as Apprentice Conductor mentoring under the late conductor and poet James DePreist. Before the end of his apprenticeship, Tinkham was appointed Music Director of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras (CYSO).

www.allentinkham.com

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