Elmer Ramsey has been involved in choral music all his life - either singing, composing, arranging, or conducting. His experience in singing began in grade school and continued with the high school choir (where he met his wife of 53 years, Elaine), college choirs, Portland Symphonic Choir, and the Roger Wagner Chorale. Mr. Ramsey has a blend of experience from both professional music and academic life. He retired as a University professor after 40 years of teaching and also retired as a symphony music director after 30 years of conducting. Ramsey is also a professional trumpet player and his versatility has brought him the title "musician's musician" by his colleagues.
Besides his involvement with Road Scholar, he is still active professionally as founder/director of his vocal group the Sherwood Singers and the Conejo "Pops" Orchestra in Southern California doing concerts and recordings.
Elmer Ramsey started playing trumpet professionally at age fourteen. He had his own 40's-style Big Band on radio station KWLK (Longview, Washington) at age seventeen, and at nineteen played in the Portland Symphony (now the Oregon Symphony), radio station KOIN in Portland, and made West Coast tours with Mel Tormé, Joni James, and Kay Starr. Coming to Los Angeles in 1956, he continued playing at the 20th Century Fox, Desilu, NBC studios, Disneyland, Melodyland Theatre, Laguna Pageant of the Masters, as well as the King Family, Ernie Ford, Nat King Cole, Jimmy Durante shows, and a variety of classical engagements.
As a symphony conductor for 30 years, his guest artists have included pianist Leonard Penario, violinist Glen Dicterow (Concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic), Sidney Weiss (Concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmonic), cellist Ron Leonard (Principal Cello Los Angeles Philharmonic), bass-baritone Giorgio Tozzi of the Metropolitan Opera, Pinchus Zukerman, and pianists Vladimer Feltsman and Daniel Pollack. As Music Director/Conductor, he has also worked with such greats as Shirley Jones, John Raitt, Carol Lawrence, Gordon MacCrae, Florence Henderson, Bernadette Peters, Marni Nixon, and Dale Kristien as well as conducting Julie Andrews in the motion picture Star.
Elmer Ramsey always wanted to be a "musikan" as he announced when he was about five years old. In fact, he meant composing music and conducting it. To understand the orchestra, he studied flute, cello, violin, trumpet, and piano as well as voice. Maestro Ramsey retired from University teaching after 40 years and still continues conducting, composing, and arranging.
Hidden Valley, P.O. Box 116, Carmel Valley, CA 93924
Phone: (831) 659-3115
e-mail: hvms@aol.com
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