Named the Minnesota Orchestra’s Choral Advisor in 2004, Kathy Saltzman Romey is director of choral activities at the University of Minnesota, where she oversees the graduate program in choral conducting, and artistic director of the 200-voice symphonic chorus, the Minnesota Chorale, which serves as principal chorus for the Minnesota Orchestra. 

She has prepared the Chorale for performances with both the Minnesota Orchestra and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra under the baton of such conductors as James Conlon, Christopher Hogwood, Eduardo Mata, Nicholas McGegan, Bobby McFerrin, Roger Norrington, Eiji Oue, Helmuth Rilling, Robert Shaw, Leonard Slatkin, Osmo Vänskä, Edo de Waart, and Hugh Wolff.  In addition, she coordinates Bridges, the nationally acclaimed community-engagement program of the Minnesota Chorale.

Romey graduated with a B.A. in flute performance from the University of Oregon in 1979. She continued her studies in Frankfurt, Germany, under acclaimed conductor Helmuth Rilling, receiving an artistic degree in choral conducting from the Frankfurt Musikhochschule in 1984. She returned to the United States to assist Dale Warland at Macalester College, and later served as director of choral activities at Macalester from 1985 to 1992.  Romey has been a staff member of the Oregon Bach Festival since 1984, and is principal chorus master of the 54-voice professional choir, assisting with many of the festival performances and recordings. She has prepared the Festival Chorus for American and world premiere performances, including the 1998 premiere and recording of Krzysztof Penderecki's Credo, which received a Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance in 2001.   Additionally, she has served as chorus master to the Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart for projects in Germany, France, Poland, Austria, Switzerland and the United States. She has also prepared programs with the Carnegie Hall Festival Chorus, Westminster Symphonic Chorus, the Netherlands Radio Chorus, the Festival Ensemble Stuttgart, Berkshire Choral Festival, and Grant Park Music Festival.

Romey was a member of the planning committee for the Sixth World Symposium on Choral Music, hosted by the city of Minneapolis in August 2002. She is a strong advocate for contemporary music and served as editor of “The Composer's Voice” column for the International Choral Bulletin from 2001 to 2006. Active as a guest conductor and clinician throughout the United States, Romey was named 2002 Conductor of the Year by the Minnesota Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association and received the 2006 Arthur ‘Red’ Motley award for exemplary teaching from the University of Minnesota.

September 2011