Dr. Carlson has performed under the baton of nearly all of the eminent late 20th century conductors, including Leonard Bernstein, Daniel Barenboim, Andre Previn, Otto Klemperer, Loren Maazel, Aaron Copland, Benjamin Britten, Pierre Boulez, and Georg Solti. As both a musician and a music director, Dr. Carlson has performed hundreds of works in more than 1,000 concerts around the world.
In 1969, after eight years as a professional musician, Dr. Carlson brought his love of music to OSU, where he has since taught strings, chamber music, and music appreciation. He founded the OSU Piano Trio, the OSU Chamber Soloists, the OSU Jazz Ensemble, and the OSU Baroque Ensemble.
In 1993 he became chair of the Department of Music. Under his leadership, the Department has raised more than $1 million in scholarship endowment funds, and in support of renovation projects in historic Benton Hall, including the Lillian and Paul Petri Choral Room and the newly-completed Captain Beard Band Hall. The scholarship endowment fund provides more than $60,000 annually in financial aid for student musicians of all majors.
Dr. Carlson has served as director of the 100-member OSU-Corvallis Symphony since 1985. He was one of the founders of the Opera Theater Corvallis and has served as its music director since 1990.
Besides strengthening musical culture here in Corvallis, Dr. Carlson served as resident director of the Oregon Study Center in Stuttgart, Germany, from 1988-90. Additionally, he served as director of seven different inter-institutional, long-term, study abroad programs in London; Siena, Italy; Cologne, Germany; and Angers, France. |
