Masters of Fine Arts in Conducting

The Ultimate One-Year Practical Experience for the Modern Conductor

Conservatories and Universities around the world notoriously offer their conducting candidates a limited conducting curriculum, sometimes including intermittent rehearsals with their student orchestras.

We take an entirely different approach.

We've teamed up with the Vratsa Symphony Orchestra and are providing all of our conducting candidates 30 minutes of podium time with a professional orchestra every week. Plus, we've created the most comprehensive MFA degree program for the modern conductor offered by any University in the world.

10 Reimagined Modules

Designed in consultation with our conductors, orchestrators, music supervisors and mix engineers from around the world, we've crafted the ultimate 54-credit Masters program for modern conductors.

Module 1

Fundamentals of Symphonic Conducting Technique

The universal language of gesture. Candidates pursue bespoke individual conducting studies at the Conservatory with distinguished resident and visiting conductors. With an emphasis on refining performance practice, artistry and technique, and developing and improving interpretive skills through consideration, reflection and the application of current practice styles across a broad range of symphonic conducting repertoire, from the Baroque through the 20th Century periods.

Module 2

Studio Conducting, and Conducting in Rock/Pop Environment

​Versatility. Enabling conductors to be effective communicators through practical experiences of conducting in both the recording studio and in rock / pop environments. Training in working with studio techniques, including click tracks, streamers, conducting to picture, rhythm sections, pre-recorded tracking, monitor mixes, and interaction with producers and engineers.

Module 3

Concerto Conducting: Piano, Cello, Violin, and Voice

​Learn to apply the vastly different listening techniques required for concerto conducting, facilitating those places in the music whereby following the soloist is of the utmost importance. Intuitive interaction and prediction of the soloist's intentions before the event happens is a primary skill requirement, and can only be learned through regular practical experience.

Module 4

Career Development, Promotion and Programming (a portion of this module will be delivered in Vienna)

​One of the most important elements of any University or Conservatory education is almost always forgotten. Students leave programs all over the world with facility on their instruments, yet completely ill-equipped to navigate the business aspects of their professional lives. Without self-leadership and entrepreneurial skills, musicians find themselves fixated on finding opportunities that will 'make' their careers, rather than understanding the tools needed to create those same opportunities to build career advancement.

Module 5

Media Recording, Editing, Mixing, Videography and Music Technology

Modern conductors should have a command of current music technologies, primarily the current DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations), and an understanding of the methodologies, processes and workflow applications required to effectively and professionally record, edit and mix the orchestra and other performing ensembles. Conductors must become their own recording engineer, music editor and mixing engineer, and will receive thorough instruction on the complete process of audio and video recording of any ensemble, as well as the editing and mixing of the music recorded therein.

Module 6

Musicals, Live Orchestra to Film, Contemporary Dance and Classical Ballet

Modern presenters find themselves increasingly programming works for film and game visual content accompanied by live orchestra. There is a particular skillset required to effectively lead an orchestra in sync with on screen visual images. Musicals, Contemporary Dance and Classical Ballet all require different attention and focus to rhythmic elements than in other Classical genres.

Module 7

Avant-garde and Modern Classical Contemporary

​The avante-garde and 20th/21st century contemporary compositions have created the need for the modern conductor to have additional skillsets, including a different set of common gestures and commands for the genre, and a different set of responsibilities due to the frequent incorporation of live electronics and other elements, and the understanding of avante-garde, extended techniques, and their notational practices.

Module 8

Big Band

Experience regular rehearsals and exposure to big bands and jazz ensembles in order to thoroughly learn this completely different vocabulary. The conductor's role is vastly different in this setting; learn how to interact with rhythm sections and the gestural vocabulary to run big band rehearsals and performances.

Module 9

Opera Conducting

Opera conducting is a specialized skill set within the overall conducting musical language. It utilizes many of the gestures developed in the symphonic language coupled with gestures that are specific to the opera stage. Amongst them are maintaining the attention of the singers to the focal point of the conductor's podium in the pit, indicating entries to the singers that are pre-empted with additional gestures that allow for time for the singers to breathe, and much more.

Module 10

Major Conducting Project

Conduct a concert performance or studio recording of the following: symphonic repertoire, opera / ballet, musical, film / game, big band and pop / rock live show with orchestra. This performance or studio recording will be professionally HD video and audio recorded so conductors can have high quality content for their portfolios.