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.
The Conductor's Podcast
How Much Should I Talk at Conducting Auditions?
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Conducting auditions are something that's hard to navigate as each organization and ensemble does look for different things, but no one would disqualify a good conductor!
Typically, an audition for an assistant conductor would be only 10-15 minutes, while a music director audition might be a full rehearsal (2-3 hour), or even a concert cycle consisting 4-6 rehearsals, depending on the ensemble's schedule.
My objective of all conducting auditions is to share my musical ideas with the ensemble while demonstrating a representation of how my typical rehearsal flows.
Some Tips:
- Only verbally ask for things that you’ve already shown in your conducting (and not getting)
- Refrain from talking too much about the historical background, stories, etc. unless it’s necessarily and absolutely related to your point
- Have a structure of the rehearsal, and share it with the musicians
- If it’s not good, ask again. Don’t leave things when they are still bad
