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
Activity