Our Mission
New York Conducting Institute aims to help leaders transform the world through the power of music.
NYCI Philosophy
A conductor must master of the art of the following four skills:
1. Technique of Physical Gesture
2. Technique of Score Study
3. Technique of Rehearsal
4. Career Advancement
Most teachers and conservatories focus solely on gestural technique. Few programs include how to study a score for the sake of rehearsal and performance practice, aside from a basic musical analysis, e.g. form, harmony, etc. Even fewer programs focus on rehearsal technique. And, to our knowledge, no accredited conducting program in the United States trains students on how to advance one's career. Although charisma may be innate, self-promotion is something that must be learned and fostered.
At NYCI, we know the value of having clear physical gesture, and that is still the primary focus of every conductor's formal training. Broadly speaking, gestures are used to achieve clarity or style, or both. For clarity, a conductor must be able to navigate tricky spots in the score, without speaking, allowing the orchestra to play accurately and securely. This includes all the 'conducting 101' basics: clear patterns, predictable beats, setting a tempo, managing fermatas and transitions, etc. As for style, a conductor must understand when and how to give more subtle information. For example, we must know when to deviate from a standard pattern, when to subdivide, when in 2 or in 4?, in 6 or in 2?, how far ahead to conduct (i.e. let the orchestra 'play behind' but not be distracted by it), how to show phrase shape and articulation, and how to listen while conducting.
Learning rehearsal technique is of near equal importance to gesture, but is often neglected. How does one tune woodwinds? What can you ask of the strings if you're not a string player? What do you tell the strings if you are a string player? How much technical information is useful? How much poetic description or talking in rehearsal is okay? What do you do when it's not sounding better? These questions have answers and come with experience, but there's no time to re-invent the wheel. We must be ready to rehearse from the moment we step on the podium. NYCI hosts master teachers and experienced performers to teach and discuss rehearsal technique as a major focus. While there's no substitute for observation and experience, there is a body of knowledge about rehearsing that we can all learn from and apply directly.
There can be no art without knowing the music. Furthermore, all of our gesture and rehearsal technique must be derived directly from understanding three things: the printed page (score and parts), performance practice, and music history. Our gestures have meaning only if we know the music thoroughly and our rehearsal will be largely ineffectual if we don't know the style and traditions. If there is a dramatic element, or text is involved, such as in opera or oratorio, we must also study the culture and language. Fortunately, there are spectacular tools at our immediate disposal like never before, such as recordings, videos, and other references. But we must learn to discern which traditions and styles are authentic, how much musical analysis of the score is truly necessary for being ready to conduct, and what we can write in the score to help us be clear and not forget the things we discovered while studying. This is a broad topic but indispensable in our training.
From the anecdotal to the systematic, there are myriad methods of obtaining a career. Everyone's path is different, unlike a century ago, when the standard was this: a young male pianist would become a répétiteur in an opera company, slowing rising in rank and status, becoming a coach, and eventually being elevated to an assistant conductor, and onward. For many reasons, this model is no longer standard and no longer a reliable route to podium time or to a career. Rather, the modern era provides opportunities unavailable in the past such as countless workshops, mentoring programs, grants and scholarships, not to mention innumerable institutes of higher learning offering graduate degrees. We all must have a good conducting video for self-promotion and we must have a lot of belief in ourselves as musicians with something to offer. Charisma is mandatory. One must be able to connect with audiences, potential donors, board members, interviewers, and mentors.
The philosophy behind the NYCI is that there are ways of achieving all of these things and methods for obtaining the these skills. As with every art and profession, conducting is not for everyone and success is not guaranteed even for the most naturally gifted. But for those who have decided to be conductors, and who have the drive and passion, there is a way and we are here to help.
© 2016 David Štech, Artistic Director
2. Technique of Score Study
3. Technique of Rehearsal
4. Career Advancement
Most teachers and conservatories focus solely on gestural technique. Few programs include how to study a score for the sake of rehearsal and performance practice, aside from a basic musical analysis, e.g. form, harmony, etc. Even fewer programs focus on rehearsal technique. And, to our knowledge, no accredited conducting program in the United States trains students on how to advance one's career. Although charisma may be innate, self-promotion is something that must be learned and fostered.
At NYCI, we know the value of having clear physical gesture, and that is still the primary focus of every conductor's formal training. Broadly speaking, gestures are used to achieve clarity or style, or both. For clarity, a conductor must be able to navigate tricky spots in the score, without speaking, allowing the orchestra to play accurately and securely. This includes all the 'conducting 101' basics: clear patterns, predictable beats, setting a tempo, managing fermatas and transitions, etc. As for style, a conductor must understand when and how to give more subtle information. For example, we must know when to deviate from a standard pattern, when to subdivide, when in 2 or in 4?, in 6 or in 2?, how far ahead to conduct (i.e. let the orchestra 'play behind' but not be distracted by it), how to show phrase shape and articulation, and how to listen while conducting.
Learning rehearsal technique is of near equal importance to gesture, but is often neglected. How does one tune woodwinds? What can you ask of the strings if you're not a string player? What do you tell the strings if you are a string player? How much technical information is useful? How much poetic description or talking in rehearsal is okay? What do you do when it's not sounding better? These questions have answers and come with experience, but there's no time to re-invent the wheel. We must be ready to rehearse from the moment we step on the podium. NYCI hosts master teachers and experienced performers to teach and discuss rehearsal technique as a major focus. While there's no substitute for observation and experience, there is a body of knowledge about rehearsing that we can all learn from and apply directly.
There can be no art without knowing the music. Furthermore, all of our gesture and rehearsal technique must be derived directly from understanding three things: the printed page (score and parts), performance practice, and music history. Our gestures have meaning only if we know the music thoroughly and our rehearsal will be largely ineffectual if we don't know the style and traditions. If there is a dramatic element, or text is involved, such as in opera or oratorio, we must also study the culture and language. Fortunately, there are spectacular tools at our immediate disposal like never before, such as recordings, videos, and other references. But we must learn to discern which traditions and styles are authentic, how much musical analysis of the score is truly necessary for being ready to conduct, and what we can write in the score to help us be clear and not forget the things we discovered while studying. This is a broad topic but indispensable in our training.
From the anecdotal to the systematic, there are myriad methods of obtaining a career. Everyone's path is different, unlike a century ago, when the standard was this: a young male pianist would become a répétiteur in an opera company, slowing rising in rank and status, becoming a coach, and eventually being elevated to an assistant conductor, and onward. For many reasons, this model is no longer standard and no longer a reliable route to podium time or to a career. Rather, the modern era provides opportunities unavailable in the past such as countless workshops, mentoring programs, grants and scholarships, not to mention innumerable institutes of higher learning offering graduate degrees. We all must have a good conducting video for self-promotion and we must have a lot of belief in ourselves as musicians with something to offer. Charisma is mandatory. One must be able to connect with audiences, potential donors, board members, interviewers, and mentors.
The philosophy behind the NYCI is that there are ways of achieving all of these things and methods for obtaining the these skills. As with every art and profession, conducting is not for everyone and success is not guaranteed even for the most naturally gifted. But for those who have decided to be conductors, and who have the drive and passion, there is a way and we are here to help.
© 2016 David Štech, Artistic Director