This mammoth project which I’ve been working on, as lead content author, for the last 3+ years is now available! Totally free of charge, we have created a really exciting content-rich resource which redfines traditional approaches to teaching conducting. Enjoy!
When we started this project in September 2018, little did we know how much demand there was going to be for online resources to teach conducting! ConductIT will launch later this month, but here’s a taster…
Great to be back doing these events again! We have five Masterclasses this academic year, and details can be found here. It’s also possible to observe these sessions online.
I did one of those very last minute stand-ins taking over a brilliant programme of American music more than halfway through the rehearsal process, leading to a live Radio 3 concert the following evening! It was the biggest BBC Phil to play together since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, so a real privilege to do this. I can safely say I knew the music a lot better by the end of the gig than I did at 10.45am the previous morning!
Listen here (if in the UK).
In 2018 I was part of a partnership involving RNCM Conducting, the University of Stavanger, the University of Aveiro, and the Open Universiy that was awarded a major research grant from the EU’s Erasmus+ Stretegic Partnership programme. Little did we know then how relevant our project to create online resources to teach conducting would be as we approached the end of the 3 years of funding.
In December we launched the first part of the ConductIT resource. Our introductory MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) is a standalone resource aimed at those beginning to conduct, and serves as an introduction to the full range of materials that will be published towards the end of 2021.
Have a look at the ConductIT website to see what we’ve been up to.
The ConductIT project has been steaming ahead over the last few months and we are preparing to release an introductory MOOC before the end of the year. In place of the unfortuntaely cancelled conference in Aveiro, Portugal in November (can’t imagine why we thought that would be a good idea….) we are instead holding a series of online events. These are free of charge and will be of interest to conductors of all levels, and those interested in how conducting is taught.
The NPO has been right at the forefront of orchestras returning to public performance in the UK. On 10th October we gave a socially-distanced concert with an orchestra of 53 players - we think the largest orchestral concert with a public audience since March. Here is a selection from a very emotional and memorable eveing.
Scheduling our usual programme of external masterclasses and short courses for the 2020-21 season has been somewhat challenging of course! However, we are delighted that our Music Educators course is up and running and starts in late October. We’ve also been able to schedule a masterclass with wind & brass ensembles in November. All the details here.
As with most other summer programmes, Sherborne Summer School of Music has been cancelled this year. However, we are going to run a version of the Wind Conducting Programme online from 3rd-5th August. More details here.
As the COVID-19 lockdowns commenced, I put together a series of short films offering advice on how conductors could keep busy and productive during this time. There are 12 videos from conductors and teachers including Marin Alsop, Sir Mark Elder, Simon Halsey, Gergely Madaras, Mark Stringer and Nicolas Pasquet.
