Vicki Ambinder is a music performance coach and artistic consultant based in Portland, Oregon.
Vicki has been a part of the performing and media arts for over 30 years, in a variety of areas including film, radio, music and theater. Her experience as a music producer, film producer, director, actor, musician, session singer, bandleader, songwriter, and arranger have given her the unique skill set she brings to her clients today.
Born in Detroit, Michigan and raised in Portland, Vicki began her music instruction at the age of five, studying piano for the next 10 years with Letty Pericin. She also developed an early love of acting and musical theater, and was cast in several productions at Portland Civic Theatre while studying intensively with prominent Portland actors Richard Hurst, Les Sarnoff and Pat Torelle.
At Oberlin College, Vicki enjoyed the plentiful arts opportunities that were available to college and conservatory students. Serving as a board member of the Oberlin Student Theater Association, she produced and appeared in various productions, and studied acting and directing with Arno Selco and Roberta Rude. She also sang and played guitar regularly at local venues and performed in live concert broadcasts on WOBC-FM.
Vicki was fortunate to be a part of Oregon’s burgeoning film industry during the 1980s and 1990s. During her long stint as a producer and executive producer at Signature Films, Vicki’s projects were recognized in numerous regional, national and international competitions, including the Emmy® Awards and the CLIO Awards.
She has also worked as a freelance music producer, and was one of the founding producer/partners of the radio production company Renegade Radio.
Vicki frequently serves on judging panels for various music performance competitions, and she is a member of the board of directors of Cerimon House, a sanctuary for the humanities. She also teaches master classes and workshops in live music performance for music festivals and musicians' organizations.
Over the years, Vicki has continued to produce, perform and record music, appearing as a solo artist as well as in several rock, folk, Americana, bluegrass and jazz bands.
