Today we talk with conductor Kenneth Woods about expanding our understanding of Gustav Mahler by delving into the context and reactions to his world at Colorado Mahlerfest, why we must be more intentional in programming significant works from composers, and how we can gain a deeper understanding of a composers’ relationship to their music by how they revised it. …
PT103: The Power of a Premiere, with Kenneth Woods Read More »
Today we’re talking with Mei-Ann Chen, Music Director of Chicago Sinfonietta, about enhancing your rehearsals with Rehearsal Language, how she led the orchestra to win a MacArthur Award for their Theatrical and Diverse Programming, and how her Project Inclusion Conducting Fellows learn and prepare for a professional conducting career. This interview was originally recorded for …
PT101: “Polishing the Potential in Young Conductors,” with Mei-Ann Chen Read More »
Today we talk with Anna Edwards, Music Director of the Seattle Collaborative Orchestra, the Saratoga Orchestra, and the Pacific Northwest Conducting Institute, about how and why to seek out music by underrepresented composers, why conductors (women especially) should embrace their own physicality and body type, and why being comfortable on the podium is critical to …
PT95: “Finding Comfort in Who You Are,” with Anna Edwards Read More »
Today we talk with David Leibowitz, Music Director and Founder of the New York Repertory Orchestra, about how he’s programmed 20 seasons with NYRO without repeating any pieces, how he defines and builds balanced programs, and why young conductors flourish once they can let get out of their own inward focus.
Today we talk with John Devlin, Music Director of the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra, host of the Upbeat Podcast, and a founding contributor to EverythingConducting.com, about how to be the least-generic version of yourself, how to design a commissioning project that’s supremely exciting and relevant to your orchestra and audiences, and how innovative concert design can …
PT93: “Creating an Experience with Innovative Concert Design,” with John Devlin Read More »
Today we talk with Elizabeth de Brito, host of The Daffodil Perspective, the first gender-balanced, racially equitable, and inclusive classical radio show in the world, celebrating female composers every week. In its two years so far, Elizabeth has discovered and shared mountains of music that, unfortunately, you’ve never heard by women and composers of color …
Today we talk with Janna Hymes, Music Director of the Carmel Symphony Orchestra. In this interview we discuss Janna’s new position in Carmel, how she sets goals in the artistic, marketing, development, and education areas to grow her orchestras, and how she communicates that vision to her board and administration. We also discuss the importance of programming …
PT87: “Developing a Vision and Achieving Growth for your Orchestra,” with Janna Hymes Read More »
Today we talk with Kaleb Benda, Artistic Director & Conductor of the Oklahoma Chamber Symphony, Assistant Conductor of the Enid Symphony Orchestra, Music Director of the USAO Concert Band, and the #1 fan of Podium Time. We dig into how Kaleb handles lots of repertoire and how to study efficiently, the importance of creating your own opportunities, and how and …
PT86: “Efficient Score Study, Methods for Memorization, and more,” with Kaleb Benda Read More »
Today we speak with Aram Demirjian, Music Director of the Knoxville Symphony, about how he transitioned from an Assistant Conductor to a Music Director, how to determine what “relevant” means to your community, and why conductors are like politicians in our responsibilities, relationships, and the influence we wield.
If you’re a conductor in quarantine and willing to question the meaning of music and your place in the world, then this is the interview for you! We talk with conductor Christopher Rountree about how and why he realized he wasn’t interested in the standard career path for orchestral conductors, why classical music education is …
PT70: “Be a Place where Everybody Asks Questions,” with Christopher Rountree Read More »
