The Conductor's Podcast
The Conductor’s Podcast is a space created for conductors and musicians who are curious and interested in learning more about the profession, crafts, industry, and business. The host Chaowen Ting, founder of Girls Who Conductor, has mentored hundreds of conductors from across the globe. She created the Conductor’s Podcast to share all the behind the scene secrets with you while interviewing conductors, musicians, and business gurus from around the world. Her specialty? Breaking big topics into simple, actionable, step–by–step strategies to help you take action on your big dream, move through the fear that’s holding you back, and have a real impact.
Episodes
Joshua Palkki (he/him) is Associate Professor of Music at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta where he leads the Chamber Choir and Glee Club and Founding Artistic Director of We Resound, a new LGBTQA and ally youth chorus in Atlanta. He is the co-author of Honoring Trans and Gender-Expansive Students in Music Education (Oxford University Press, 2021).
In today's episode, we discussed Josh's background, teaching and conduc...
In today's episode, I will be sharing how I take notes as an assistant conductor when working for an ensemble - both instrumental or vocal, or in an opera production.
RELATED EPISODES - check them out if you haven't already!
Season 1: LIVE: Assistant Conductor Positions with Michelle Di Russo and Michelle Rofrano
Season 3: Ask Me Anything with Orchestra Conductors [panel discussion in 2024]
𝗞𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗮 𝗕𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗹, 202...
Dana Fonteneau is a former concert cellist and now a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, performance consultant, and founder of WholeHearted Musician™ and Dana Fonteneau Consulting, LLC.
I worked with Dana during 2023-24 when she was one of my coaches. She helped me gain clarity of my WHY, who I am as an artist, and learning how mind and body connects.
To learn more about Dana's work, visit her website at danafonteneau.com....
In today's episode, I will be answering a question posted on instagram - choral vs orchestral conducting.
The essence of all conducting is to convey your understanding of the music to influence and support the musicians' music-making.
When we have different ensembles, it's important to look at different needs of choral singers, and to adjust the height of your conducting gestures, and to show phrasing and support breathing.
Dr. Marcus Norris is a composer and conductor, who has orchestrate several songs for Beyoncé's 2023 Dubai return to live performance and served as Music Director for Tina Knowles-Lawson's 2022 Wearable Art Gala. Marcus founded South Side Symphony in 2020, which he describes as "like if Quincy Jones grew up on 90s R&B and Rap."
I had the privelege to conduct Marcus' opera Forsyth County is Flooding (with the Joy of Lake Lan...
Welcome back to Season 4 of the Conductor's Podcast. You will hear interviews with some great people whom I think are really really cool, and also solo episodes with me answering questions about conducting study, rehearsal, or the industry. Happy listening!
Do you also use recordings to help your score study process? Today I am going to share a few things that I do with recordings!
1. See the many interpretational possibilities regarding tempi, balance, or conducting patterns.
2. Check what I might have missed in your score study (dynamics, chord change, important lines, or bringing out a different layer)
3. Memory check when memorizing the score
4. Know what might need rehearsals
...
Live recording from an AMA (Ask Me Anything) Panel Discussion on May 20, 2024. The session was moderated by my colleague Dr. Janet Kim, and our panelists were:
Shelley Axelson, Director of Bands, Radford University
Julia Baumanis, Associate Director of Bands, Rutgers University
Tina Dimeglio, Associate Director of Bands, University of South Florida
If you missed my interview with Julia Baumanis in Season 1 E...
Catching up with returning guest Kevin Fitzgerald :)
Make sure you check out or revisit my interview with Kevin in Season 2 when we talked about audition preparation and navigating the business:
https://theconductorspodcast.com/podcast/s2e7/
AND
https://theconductorspodcast.com/podcast/s2e8/
Five key preparation factors for competitions (and as a good conductor in general!)
1. Know the score inside out
2. Have (form and be very firm) your own opinion about the music
3. Have enough techniques to deliver your ideas
4. Keep a high energy and engage musicians at all times
5. Develop problem solving skills - rehearsal techniques, interruptions from the jury, being asked to do a piece you are less good at
Live recording from an AMA (Ask Me Anything) Panel Discussion on May 6, 2024. The session was moderated by my colleague Dr. Janet Kim, and our panelists were:
Arianne Abela, Director of the Choral Program, Amherst College
Maria A. Ellis, the Girl Conductor
Amanda Hanzlik, Director of Choirs, E.O. Smith High School; President - Elect, ACDA Eastern Region
Liana Salinas, Artistic Director, Miami Children's Chorus
If you missed ...
Very happy to welcome Anna Sułkowska-Migoń, the winner of the 2022 La Maestra Competition in Paris, where I was a quarter-finalist. Anna and I talked about her experience after the competition, her growth and challenges, and what she has learned in her journey.
This interview was recorded in May 2024 when Anna was expecting her daughter and we wish her and her family a wonderful start of this new chapter.
Learn ...
Live recording from an AMA (Ask Me Anything) Panel Discussion on May 3, 2024. The panelists of the sessions were:
Juhi Bensal, composer, conductor, and educator
Joanna Drimatis, Music Director and Chief Conductor, Beecroft Orchestra
Katie LaBrie, composer, conductor, and educator
Live recording from an AMA (Ask Me Anything) Panel Discussion on April 28, 2024. The panelists of the sessions were:
Marta Gardolinska, Music Director, Opera national de Lorraine
Stephanie Rhodes Russell, Founder, Women’s Artistic Leadership Initiative; Guest Conductor, Wolf Trap Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Washington National Opera
Michelle Rofrano, Artistic Director, PROTESTRA; Guest Conductor, Madison Opera, City Lyric O...
I've always thought that I wasn't a good competition type of conductor, until I realized that I actually convinced myself that I wasn't good in a certain area so I didn't need to continue improving myself.
From 2022, I entered La Maestra Competition in Paris, won the 3rd Prize at Kussewitzky Competition 2023 and 2nd Prize at the Mendelssohn Competition 2024. In this season's episodes, I will be sharing more what I've learned...
I finally had the pleasure to meet and speak with Dr. Andrea Brown, Associate Director of Bands at the University of Maryland. Previously served as director of orchestra and assistant director of bands at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta and assistant director of bands at the University of Michigan, we spoke about her experience as a conductor and the founder of “Women Rising to the Podium.”
Live recording from an AMA (Ask Me Anything) Panel Discussion on April 3, 2024. The panelists of the sessions were:
𝗞𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗮 𝗕𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗹, 2024 Sphinx Medal of Excellence & former Assistant Conductor, Memphis Symphony
𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲 𝗗𝗶 𝗥𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗼, Dudamel Fellow, LA Philharmonic; Associate Conductor, North Carolina Symphony
𝗙𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮, Assistant Conductor & Diversity Fellow, Buffalo Philharmo...
My first in person interview for the podcast with conductor Chloé Dufresne, recorded on February 23, 2024 when she visited Atlanta through the Villa Albertine artist residence program with the French Consulate in Atlanta.
We talked about her conducting training, experiences with American and European orchestras, and current and upcoming projects.
Learn more about Chloé: https://www.chloedufresne.com/
Based on my experiences teaching conducting workshops and participating in competitions, the three biggest mistakes are:
1. Worrying so much about the ensemble problems when you are the one causing the problems.
2. Only concerned about your conducting, your vision of the music and fail to connect with musicians.
3. Thinking that it’s only about conducting - how about your leadership styles, interpersonal sk...
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