2014 conductor development

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Contents

Introduction 3

ANotefromtheDirector 4

Program 6

ApplicationGuidelines

EligibilityGuidelines 9

SelectionProcessforAustralianandNewZealandApplicants 9

AuditionRepertoire 10

TravellingtoYourAudition? 10

InternationalApplicants 10

Auditing 11

ApplicationFee 11

CourseFees 11

HowtoApply 12


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IntroduCtIonOne of Symphony Services Internationals goals is to assist a new

generation of conductors to reach their potential by providing the

highest quality training possible.

The program is taught by international conductors, including

Course Director Christopher Seaman and, in 2014, Johannes Fritzsch

and Eckehard Stier. Symphony Services Internationals Conductor

Development program represents a major investment in Australian

talent and is now also welcoming applications from internationalconductors.

Christopher Seaman is Course Director of the Conductor

Development program. A regular guest conductor of Australian and

New Zealand symphony orchestras, he devotes a number of weeks

each year to teaching and directing our training programs.

We are delighted to welcome the guest conductors who will

join Christopher Seaman in providing expertise and guidance

throughout the year.


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A note from the dIreCtor

They will also be coached by me and by otherinternational guest conductors, giving thema rich diversity of experience to draw on apriceless gift in itself.

Previous participants in the programhave gone on to opportunities to studyand work internationally, and some havealready begun their careers in Australia andoverseas. But whatever level of conductingour participants reach, the whole musicallife of Australia, professional, educationaland amateur, will gain enormously from the

programs influence on the overall standardof conducting here. Congratulations toSymphony Services International for creatingthis I wish there had been something like itfor me when I started out!

Christopher SeamanCourse Director

I am delighted and privileged to continueto play this important role in the musicallife of Australia. For more than 20 years Ihave enjoyed coming here and conductingthe excellent Australian orchestras. Now, inaddition to that, I am able to play my partin teaching and nur turing young Australianconductors.

The Symphony Services InternationalConductor Development program is, as far asI know, unique. One of the best things aboutit is that these young conductors will have

the opportunity to work with many of themajor orchestras and with other groups ofexperienced players.

Christopher Seaman

Course Director

(Photo: Kurt Brownell)


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ChristopherSeamanCourseDirector

British conductor Christopher Seaman has areputation for inspirational music-making.He relinquished his post as Music Director ofthe Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in 2011,and was subsequently bestowed the title ofConductor Laureate. His 13-year tenure, thelongest in the orchestras history, was creditedwith raising artistic standards, broadening theaudience base, and creating a new concert

series a contribution for which he receiveda programming award from the AmericanSociety of Composers, Authors and Publishers(ASCAP).

In the United States he has also held thepositions of Music Director of the NaplesPhilharmonic Orchestra, Conductor-in-Residence of the Baltimore Symphony andArtistic Advisor of the San Antonio SymphonyOrchestra. In the UK he served as PrincipalConductor with both the BBC ScottishSymphony Orchestra and the Northern

Sinfonia, in addition to working regularly withthe Royal Philharmonic, City of BirminghamSymphony, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic,Bournemouth Symphony, Philharmonia, andthe Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Recentguest conducting highlights include concertswith the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra,Houston Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra,Warsaw Philharmonic and the NationalOrchestra of Porto.

His diverse musical interests are reflected inhis range of repertoire and he is particularlynoted for his interpretations of early20th-century English music, Bruckner, Brahmsand Sibelius. Committed to working with

young people, he has been Course Directorof the Symphony Services InternationalConductor Development program for many

years, and has also had a long associationwith the National Youth Orchestra of GreatBritain and the Guildhall School of Music andDrama.

Among his awards is an Honorary Doctorateof Music from the University of Rochester.


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ProgrAm

MastercourseswithCourseDirector,ChristopherSeaman

Fees:

Australian and New Zealand citizens or permanentresidents free

International participants A$1,000

Auditors A$100

Location: AucklandDates: 12 16 September 2014Orchestra: Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra

Location: MelbourneDates: 19 23 September 2014Orchestra: Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

SummerSchoolwithCourseDirector,ChristopherSeaman

Fees:

Australian and New Zealand citizens or permanentresidents A$500

International participants A$1,500

SummerSchool

Location: HobartDates: 20 31 January 2014

Orchestra: Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra

After the huge success of the 2012 Summer School, we arepleased to join the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra againin 2014 for this event. The 2014 Conductor Summer Schoolwill be an intensive, residential two-week course and willinvolve podium time in front of the TSO, sessions withtwo pianos and a small ensemble, regular aural training,score analysis sessions, and the opportunity to work withinstrumental specialists on performance techniques.

The participation fee covers all accommodation and

training costs but does not include food or travel expenses.

Christopher Seamans experience rangesacross the great music that makes up thecanon of masterpieces. His mastercoursesoffer participants opportunities to conductprofessional symphony orchestras in Australiaand New Zealand and are ideal for learninghow to tackle a range of major works. Theexperience will be refined and guided inadditional sessions away from the orchestra,working on technique and with pianists andensembles. These mastercourses will enableparticipants to hone music which will be

part of any a spiring conductors repertoire,including both symphonic and concerto workswithin the context of a fully professional andstimulating environment. So if you want tolearn how to conduct an orchestra at thehighest levels of professionalism, apply forthese mastercourses.


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ProgrAm

EckehardStier

Eckehard Stier is Music Director and ChiefConductor of the Auckland PhilharmoniaOrchestra, General Music Director of theGrlitz Opera and Chief Conductor of theNeue Lausitz Philharmonic Orchestra.

A former member of the Dresden Kreuzchor,he began conducting lessons at the age of

14 and now enjoys an unconventional careerencompassing not only classical conducting,but also cross-over projects and activities asa jazz pianist and silent movie accompanist.He is well known as an opera conductor andhas a repertoire of over 100 operas, beingparticularly noted for his interpretations ofWagner and Strauss.

MastercoursewithEckehardStier

Fees:

Australian and New Zealand citizens orpermanent residents free

International participants $A$1,000

Auditors A$100

Location: AucklandDates: 23 27 June 2014

Orchestra: Auckland PhilharmoniaOrchestra

As a guest conductor he has appearedwith the London Philharmonic Orchestra,Munich Symphony, Dresden Philharmonic,Cologne Radio Symphony, Robert SchumannPhilharmonic Orchestra, Staatskapelle Halle,MDR Radio Symphony Orchestra Leipzig, andthe Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. He madehis Australian debut with the MelbourneSymphony in 2006 and has also performedwith the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra.In 2013 he makes his debut with the LondonSymphony Orchestra.

He has collaborated with artists such as AlinaIbragimova, Ragna Schirmer, Natalia Lomeiko,Gilles Apap, Cdric Tiberghien, NikolaiDemidenko, Andreas Boyde and Per ArneGlorvigen.

His performances of the music of Mahlerand Shostakovich have been internationallyacclaimed. A champion of contemporaryand lesser-known works, with the AucklandPhilharmonia he has given the New Zealandpremieres of Coriglianos The MannheimRocketand Campane di Ravello, John AdamsThe Wound-Dresser, Paul Schoenfields FourParables for piano and o rchestra, and DukeEllingtons Harlem.


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ProgrAm

MastercoursewithJohannesFritzsch

Fees:

Australian and New Zealand citizens orpermanent residents free

International participants A$1000

Auditors A$100

Location: Hobart

Dates: 18 22 October 2014Orchestra: Tasmanian Symphony

Orchestra

JohannesFritzschJohannes Fritzsch was born in Dresden, where he completed hismusical education at the Carl Maria von Weber Music Academy. Hehas since enjoyed a prestigious international career spanning 30 years,having accepted his first position as a conductor at the age of 22.Currently Chief Conductor of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, hehas previously held chief conductor positions at Graz Opera and GrazPhilharmonic Orchestra (2006-2013), Nuremberg State Opera, andthe Stdtische Bhnen and the Philharmonic Orchestra in Freiburg(1993-1999).

As a guest conductor he has worked with the Hamburg Symphony

Orchestra, Dusseldorf Symphony, Essen Philharmonic, StaatskapelleDresden, Mannheim National Theatre Orchestra, Berlin Symphony,Mecklenburg Staatskapelle Schwerin, Halle State PhilharmonicOrchestra, North German Philharmonic Orchestra Rostock, StrasbourgPhilharmonic, Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse, NationalOrchestra of Montpellier, Hong Kong Philharmonic, AucklandPhilharmonia, and the Norwegian, Danish and Swedish RadioSymphony Orchestras. Within Australia he has conducted the Sydney,Melbourne, Queensland, Tasmanian and West Australian SymphonyOrchestras and Orchestra Victoria.

Opera companies he has worked with include the state operacompanies of Hamburg, Hanover and Dresden, Deutsche Oper

Berlin, Komische Oper Berlin, Cologne Opera, Royal Swedish Opera,Teatro Regio Parma, Malm Opera and Opera Australia in Sydney andMelbourne.

In addition to his involvement with the Symphony ServicesInternational Conductor Development program, he has given manymasterclasses for the German conductor training and developmentorganisation, Dirigentenforum des Deutschen Musikrates.


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APPlICAtIon guIdelInes

EligibilityGuidelinesTo be eligible to participate in the program

you must: apply as outlined in this brochure be successful in gaining a place through

the audition process.

International applicants may only apply forthe mastercourses taught by ChristopherSeaman.

SelectionProcessforAustralian

andNewZealandApplicants

If you are applying to participate in theprogram and have applied before, theselection panel will be most interestedin what you have done since your lastapplication. Obviously the most importantinformation should pertain to yourconducting, but your wider musicalexperience is also of interest.

If you participated in the 2013 program andwish to continue in 2014 , you are still required

to submit an application and you may berequired to audition. If, in the panels opinion,

you have already achieved the maximumpotential the program can offer, you will notbe offered a place in the 2014 program. If youare a new applicant, the panel will examine

your conducting experience and your generalmusical background. Not all applicants

are invited to audition. Candidates will beselected to audition based on their experienceas indicated in their application.

Applicants are asked to submit a photo forrecognition purposes only. You will be notifiedin writing whether you have been successfulin gaining an audition. If you are successfulin gaining an audition, you will be given anaudition time, date and venue as soon aspossible following the initial selection process.However you should note that this may bevery close to the date of your audition.

It is your responsibility to obtain all scoresrequired for the auditions, and be preparedto conduct both works. Symphony ServicesInternational will not be able to provide scoresfor the auditions.

The audition panel will be led by CourseDirector Christopher Seaman, and mayalso include representatives of SymphonyServices International, Australian orchestrasand professional musicians. In your audition

you will be required to conduct two pianos

in sections of the two audition pieces. Thepianists will be playing from arrangementsof the symphonic works, however applicantsshould present as though they are conductinga full orchestra. You will also be asked toperform a short (five minute maximum) workor section of a work on either piano or aninstrument of your choice. This can be as easyor as difficult as you feel comfortable with.

Aural testing is an important part of theaudition process and the panel will want to besure you have a good background of generalmusical skills. You will be given some basicaural tests (including chord recognition andsinging intervals) and a rhythm test. You willalso be asked to play on the piano (or sing if

you cant play the piano) very simple passageswritten in alto clef, and to play (at concertpitch) passages written for clarinet in A andhorn in F. The openings of a few well-knownorchestral pieces will be played for you toidentify.

The decision of the panel is final, and nocorrespondence will be entered into followingnotification of the results. It is SymphonyServices Internationals policy not to providefeedback on any part of the selection process.

Auditions for all mastercourses will be held inMelbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Auckland onthe following dates:

MelbourneThursday 12 September 2013

SydneySaturday 14 and Sunday 15 September 2013

AdelaideThursday 19 and Friday 20 September 2013

AucklandTuesday 1 Oc tober 2013

Places in the various mastercourses will beoffered in late October to early November2013. If you are successful in gaining a place inthe program we will consider your requestedmastercourses, but may offer you alternativemastercourses depending on availability. If

you are unable to accept a place as offered toyou, there is no guarantee you will receive aplace in an alternative mastercourse.

Symphony Services International has a strictwithdrawal policy that will be provided tosuccessful applicants at the time of their offer.

Failure to adhere to this policy can result inpenalty.


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applicants residing overseas do not haveto travel to Australia to attend an auditionbut will be required to submit a DVD ofvideo footage of their conducting with theirapplication. The conducting in this footagemust be of an ensemble (ideally an orchestra)of at least ten musicians and shot from thefront, or side-on, so that the face and upperbody of the conductor are clear in the frame,with the ensemble at least partly visible. TheDVD should be a maximum of ten minutes inlength and contain two works of contrastingstyles. These do not need to be completeworks. Along with the DVD, applicants mustprovide two written references and thefollowing details regarding the recording:

Names of works on recording Date of recording Name of ensemble Instrumentation of ensemble Is the recording a rehearsal or

performance? Do you regularly conduct this ensemble? How much rehearsal time had the

ensemble had on this repertoire before therecording was made?

Were the rehearsals undertaken by you orby another conductor?

DVDs from Australian and New Zealandapplicants will not be accepted unless theycan prove that they are currently residingoverseas and are unable to attend a liveaudition. It is strongly recommended thatinternational applicants who are able toattend the live auditions in Australia or NewZealand, do so.

International applicants and any Australiansand New Zealanders residing overseas pleasenote that by submitting an applicationfor the 2014 program you are undertaking

a commitment to participate should yoube offered a place in the program. Beforeapplying, please take into consideration thetime commitment, course fees and travelcosts you will incur if you are successful.

AuditionRepertoireTCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No.6(1st movement)

BARTK Concerto for Orchestra(1st movement)

Please note that any section of the repertoiremay be requested by the audition panel, so

you should be prepared to conduct any part ofthe first movement of either work.

TravellingtoYourAudition?If only a small number of applicants areaccepted for audition from one of the citieslisted, Symphony Services International maychoose to fly these applicants to anotheraudition venue at no cost to the applicant.Likewise, Symphony Services Internationalmay provide some assistance with airfaresfor selected conductors who live outside thecities where auditions will be held. Financialassistance of any kind must not be assumedand is not available to all participants. It will

only be provided to first-time applicants inexceptional circumstances.

InternationalApplicants

If you are not a citizen or legal permanentresident of Australia or New Zealand you willbe considered an international applicant andwill therefore be liable to pay the associatedfees outlined in this brochure. International


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ApplicationFeeAustralians and New Zealanders wishingto apply as a participating conductor in anymastercourse must pay an application fee ofA$100. The fee for international applicantsis A$150. Applications will not be acceptedwithout this fee, which must be paid onlinethrough our website (see application form formore details). Please note that the applicationfee will not be refunded to unsuccessfulapplicants or applicants who do not receivean audition. If you are concerned about this

fee, please contact the Artist DevelopmentCoordinator before applying.

CourseFees

AustralianandNewZealandcitizensand

permanentresidents

With the exception of the residentialSummer School, there are no course feesfor mastercourses for Australian and NewZealand participants who are accepted

through auditions. Some travel assistancemay be provided to Australian participantsin certain cases but should not be assumed.More details on how to apply for financialassistance will be provided to those who aresuccessful in gaining a place in the program.


Applicantsfromothercountries

International participants (excluding NewZealanders) will be charged a fee of A$1,000for each mastercourse they attend. This mustbe paid in full prior to the start of the course.International participants must also coverany travel and accommodation expensesassociated with the course.

Auditors

All auditors (including conductors who areaccepted into the program) will be charged afee of A$100 for each mastercourse audited.This should be paid in full prior to the start ofthe course.

AuditingNo audition is required, and anyonecan apply to audit (observe) any of themastercourses in 2014. Auditing allowsdeveloping conductors and other interestedmusicians not participating in a mastercoursethe opportunity to attend in an observingcapacity. Auditing can help currentparticipants of the program prepare for futurecourses, and gives those hoping to join theprogram an insight into what is involved.

As an auditor you will be given access toattend all scheduled sessions for the course,as an observer only. You will be able to meetthe teacher and conductors involved, but willnot actively participate in any activities orhave the opportunity to conduct. A maximumnumber of five auditors will be accepted permastercourse. A fee of A$100 will be chargedfor each course audited and should bepre-paid in full.


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HowtoApplyAll applications must be submitted electronically bycompleting the form on our website.

Please ensure you:

tick each mastercourse for which you wish to apply indicate your preferred audition venue answer the background questions and complete the

Statistical Information sections attach a copy of your curriculum vitae and a

photograph submit the relevant application fee (follow the

prompts).

If you are an international applicant you must send twocopies of your DVD along with the supporting materiallisted on page 10 to the address below. DVDs must beposted.

All applications must be receivedno later than Friday 26 July 2013.

All DVDs and supporting material from internationalapplicants must be receivedno later than Friday 16 August 2013.

If you have difficulty submitting your application onlineplease contact the Artist Development Coordinator:

Anna HowellArtist Development CoordinatorSymphony Services InternationalPO Box 1145Darlinghurst NSW 1300+61 (0)2 8622 9482 [email protected]

ClosingDatePlease note all applications must be received by SymphonyServices International by close of business on Friday 26 July2013. All DVDs must be received by close o f business onFriday 16 August 2013.

Symphony Services International gratefully acknowledges these orchestras, who will each hostmastercourses, providing the invaluable opportunity for conductors to work with a professionalorchestra.

Symphony Services Australia Holdings Pty LtdPO Box 1145 Darlinghurst NSW 1300 Australia ACN 121 149 755

Design: ellipse.com.au

http://symphonyinternational.net/artist-development/conductors/core-conductors/http://symphonyinternational.net/artist-development/conductors/core-conductors/

2014 conductor development

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