How Much Should I Talk at Conducting Auditions?

The Conductor's Podcast

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

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