Dates & Structure

Sunday July 1 - Sunday July 8 inclusive (i.e. arriving June 30 and departing July 9)

N.B. The first two days are optional for previous participants

We seek to give a really strong overview of the whole system at Radom, as well as a significant experience of working with a professional orchestra of high level, both in rehearsal and a concert performance. The three precise aims are that participants go away with a solid understanding of the tools and how to move forwards with them, a DVD of an effective performance with a good professional orchestra recorded in high quality audio and video, and some really strong friendships arising from sharing a challenging and inspiring process with others.

It is a small class - maximum ten active participants - and over the week we cover a lot of repertoire. Normally everyone conducts twice every day, mostly different pieces.

As a result this class is extremely intensive – including the concert it adds up to nearly 60 hours of class time over eight days.   For those who engage fully, however, it can provide a really effective opportunity to develop new skills.

Course Outline

Date	Time	Event
June 30	Afternoon / evening	Arrival
July 1	10.00-17.00	Introductions, explanations
July 2	10.00-17.00	Individual lessons
July 3-6	10.00-17.00 17.00-19.00	Orchestra (2 x 3 hours) Analysis, discussion, preparation
July 7	10.00-17.00	Rehearsal for concert (2 x 3 hours)
July 8	Afternoon / evening	Rehearsal, concert and closing party
July 9	Morning	Departure

Faculty

Directors

Jonathan Brett

Maciej Żółtowski

Orchestra

Radom Chamber Orchestra

Repertoire

(provisional list)

Composer	Work	Comments / Recommended edition
Britten	Variations on a theme of Frank Bridge
Glazunov	Theme & Variations
Haydn	The Seven Last Words	version for string quartet / Bärenreiter
Haydn	Cello Concerto in C	Bärenreiter
Mendelssohn	Octet
Saint-Saens	Cello Concerto No 1
Tchaikovsky	Souvenir de Florence

Locations

Radom

Radom is a city  of 250,000 situated about 100km south of Warsaw, Poland.

Warsaw is the nearest airport, then bus or taxi to the Central Station and train to Radom.

visit city website

Classes and rehearsals

All classes and rehearsals are held on stage at Radom City Hall (pictured).

Accommodation & meals

Hotel TM - shared room with breakfast included in the cost. Single rooms are available for a supplement of £150.

visit hotel website

Lunch is provided every day except the concert day. Dinner with the orchestra is provided one evening near the beginnning of the week and after the concert.

Please note that all meals have a fixed menu - we will try to accommodate any special dietary requirements but they must be notified in advance

Language

The official language for this class is English.

If you have doubts about your ability to learn effectively using English please note this on the application form and we will try to provide lanaguage support.

Financial

Costs

including 9 nights half-board accommodation, from evening of 30 June to breakfast on 9 July

Active participant - £1,250 (c.€1,500) / Passive participant - £600 (c.€720).

single supplement - £150 / reduction for past CA participants arriving evening of 2 July - £150

Scholarships

We have limited funds to support applicants who are Polish nationals for this class but we regret that at present we have no funds to support participants from other countries.

Passive participation

Generally everyone wants to be on the rostrum but passive participation is a vital part of learning about conducting. In a class with ten active students, only 10% of rehearsal time is actually spent on the rostrum. Some people are accustomed to resting, relaxing or studying during this time but we encourage active engagement with the class throughout: whether experienced or not, if one engages actively in the process of observation and analysis, one can learn a great deal.

For those on a limited budget, "passive" participation rather than "active" can be a good option and always includes at least one private practical lesson. Passive participants are also first on the reserve list if an active place becomes available at the last minute and may get some chance to work with orchestra if, for example, an active participant is temporarily absent for some reason - such as illness.

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Payments

For all participants a deposit of £250 is required within 2 weeks of acceptance to the course otherwise the place will be re-allocated.  The balance must be paid in full by 1st May. 

Once paid all fees are non-returnable.   We do understand that circumstances change, though, and in the event of any participant needing to cancel at any time then any payments made may be returned if the place is subsequently filled - but please note that such refunds are at the sole discretion of the trust and will be subject to an administration fee of at least £50.

Please note that we only accept payments by credit card or transfer through paypal (you do not need an account) or by direct bank transfer. Paypal processing is generally a better option since if for any reason a refund needs to be made, no charges are incurred.

Applications

If you would like to apply please complete a form using the link below. Early application is recommended since there is normally high demand for active places.  

Application form

Applications for active places other than from previous participants must include video material and additional supporting documents (cv, recommendations, reviews etc.) which should be sent to info@conductorsacademy.org. Ideally video material should be provided via a link to youtube or similar (you can set up a private page if you don't want it to be visible to anyone else) or by file transfer (from a service like yousendit.com).  Please do not email video material or send by post.

Please note that video material should be shot from behind the musicians, not front of house - the exact angle is not important but you should be visible from the front.   Within reason, picture and sound quality are not important.  If you have no video material and wish to apply for active participation please send a short video of yourself conducting imaginary musicians - no more than five minutes from a "standard" work, which may be classical / romantic or early 20th century.

If you have problems using the online form please use the pdf or word versions.

Terms and conditions of participation / Terms and conditions of video usage