Discussion Panel: Page 13

The key components for a healthy relationship between conductor and orchestra vis-à-vis stick technique are consensus and consistency. The orchestra must come to a consensus as to where they play in relation to the ictus, and the conductor must be consistent in the placement of that ictus and where s/he feels the beat relates to […]

The Beat, and Where It Is. First of all, we talk about stick technique. I’ve had a lot of conductors who don’t use a baton, or who put the baton down for a period of time up to a couple of years. How can you have a stick technique if you don’t use a stick? […]

The conductor’s primary purpose is to help the musicians in the orchestra play together. The size of the orchestra and its distribution across a large stage make it difficult for a musician to rely on sound alone to know when to play, especially in a hall that provides poor contact between different parts of the […]

Stick technique has already come up in this discussion (as was inevitable), mostly in complaints about The Hand. I’d like to ask the panelists to discuss what they like and don’t like about the kinds of stick technique they’ve seen in front of their orchestras. In particular I’d like the thoughts of the panelists on […]

I’ve had the pleasure of playing in the “guinea pig” orchestras for a couple of conducting competitions in recent years. I’ve been very impressed by the level of artistry in the upper strata of these groups of aspiring conductors, but simultaneously a bit surprised and disappointed by the inexperience and/or mediocrity I’ve seen in the […]

Today’s question is about hiring assistant conductors. I worry about the role of the assistant conductor. My experience here is this: Early in my career in San Francisco we had to hire a couple of assistant conductors. Auditions were held, where the candidates got to conduct us; the best one was hired. In each case […]

The system I’m aware of for training conductors is not so dissimilar from that for training serious orchestra musicians. It involves study at a conservatory (including individual instruction and work with a lab orchestra), at summer music festivals and at the head of volunteer and semi-professional groups. The rungs on this ladder can eventually lead […]

I’d like to change direction a bit for Day 3. Here in Milwaukee we’ve seen lots of assistant-type conductors over the past couple of years (as we’ve been through a search process twice in three years). I’ve found myself very discouraged by the general level amongst young conductors, even those with positions with major orchestras. […]

Pet peeves about conductors’ rehearsal techniques: 1) not letting us get a sense of the movement as a whole before the picking starts. 2) picking too much. TRUST US (have we heard this before?).. 3) talking too much in general, but then, when there’s a funny story to break the tension, telling it in a […]

A good rehearsal is… …well-planned. A rehearsal outline, with reasonably accurate time allotments, is step one. As a violinist, I pretty much play everything all the time, but it saves time and helps with pacing when I know what’s coming at me in the next two and a half hours. We also have a lot […]