The Conductor's Podcast

Dr. Marcus Norris is a composer and conductor, who has orchestrate several songs for Beyoncé's 2023 Dubai return to live performance and served as Music Director for Tina Knowles-Lawson's 2022 Wearable Art Gala. Marcus founded South Side Symphony in 2020, which he describes as "like if Quincy Jones grew up on 90s R&B and Rap."  I had the privelege to conduct Marcus' op...

Welcome back to Season 4 of the Conductor's Podcast. You will hear interviews with some great people whom I think are really really cool, and also solo episodes with me answering questions about conducting study, rehearsal, or the industry. Happy listening! All About Chaowen Ting  

Do you also use recordings to help your score study process? Today I am going to share a few things that I do with recordings! 1. See the many interpretational possibilities regarding tempi, balance, or conducting patterns. 2. Check what I might have missed in your score study (dynamics, chord change, important lines, or bringing out a different layer) 3. Memory check when memorizing the score 4....

Live recording from an AMA (Ask Me Anything) Panel Discussion on May 20, 2024. The session was moderated by my colleague Dr. Janet Kim, and our panelists were: Shelley Axelson , Director of Bands, Radford University Julia Baumanis , Associate Director of Bands, Rutgers University Tina Dimeglio , Associate Director of Bands, University of South Florida If you missed my interview with Julia Baumanis...

Catching up with returning guest Kevin Fitzgerald :) Make sure you check out or revisit my interview with Kevin in Season 2 when we talked about audition preparation and navigating the business: https://theconductorspodcast.com/podcast/s2e7/ AND https://theconductorspodcast.com/podcast/s2e8/ All About Chaowen Ting  

Five key preparation factors for competitions (and as a good conductor in general!) 1. Know the score inside out 2. Have (form and be very firm) your own opinion about the music 3. Have enough techniques to deliver your ideas 4. Keep a high energy and engage musicians at all times 5. Develop problem solving skills - rehearsal techniques, interruptions from the jury, being asked to do a piece you a...

Live recording from an AMA (Ask Me Anything) Panel Discussion on May 6, 2024. The session was moderated by my colleague Dr. Janet Kim, and our panelists were: Arianne Abela , Director of the Choral Program, Amherst College Maria A. Ellis , the Girl Conductor Amanda Hanzlik , Director of Choirs, E.O. Smith High School; President - Elect, ACDA Eastern Region Liana Salinas , Artistic Director, Miami...

Very happy to welcome Anna Sułkowska-Migoń, the winner of the 2022 La Maestra Competition in Paris, where I was a quarter-finalist. Anna and I talked about her experience after the competition, her growth and challenges, and what she has learned in her journey.  This interview was recorded in May 2024 when Anna was expecting her daughter and we wish her and her family a wonderful start of this new...

Live recording from an AMA (Ask Me Anything) Panel Discussion on May 3, 2024. The panelists of the sessions were: Juhi Bensal , composer, conductor, and educator Joanna Drimatis , Music Director and Chief Conductor, Beecroft Orchestra Katie LaBrie , composer, conductor, and educator All About Chaowen Ting  

Live recording from an AMA (Ask Me Anything) Panel Discussion on April 28, 2024. The panelists of the sessions were: Marta Gardolinska , Music Director, Opera national de Lorraine Stephanie Rhodes Russell , Founder, Women’s Artistic Leadership Initiative; Guest Conductor, Wolf Trap Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Washington National Opera Michelle Rofrano , Artistic Director, PROTESTRA; Guest Conductor,...

I've always thought that I wasn't a good competition type of conductor, until I realized that I actually convinced myself that I wasn't good in a certain area so I didn't need to continue improving myself. From 2022, I entered La Maestra Competition in Paris, won the 3rd Prize at Kussewitzky Competition 2023 and 2nd Prize at the Mendelssohn Competition 2024. In this season&apos...

I finally had the pleasure to meet and speak with Dr. Andrea Brown, Associate Director of Bands at the University of Maryland. Previously served as director of orchestra and assistant director of bands at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta and assistant director of bands at the University of Michigan, we spoke about her experience as a conductor and the founder of “Women Rising to the...

Live recording from an AMA (Ask Me Anything) Panel Discussion on April 3, 2024. The panelists of the sessions were: 𝗞𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗮 𝗕𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗹, 2024 Sphinx Medal of Excellence & former Assistant Conductor, Memphis Symphony 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲 𝗗𝗶 𝗥𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗼, Dudamel Fellow, LA Philharmonic; Associate Conductor, North Carolina Symphony 𝗙𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮, Assistant Conductor & Diversity Fellow, Buffalo Philharmonic 𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗻𝘆 𝗫...

My first in person interview for the podcast with conductor Chloé Dufresne, recorded on February 23, 2024 when she visited Atlanta through the Villa Albertine artist residence program with the French Consulate in Atlanta.  We talked about her conducting training, experiences with American and European orchestras, and current and upcoming projects. Learn more about Chloé: https://www.chloedufresne....

Based on my experiences teaching conducting workshops and participating in competitions, the three biggest mistakes are: 1. Worrying so much about the ensemble problems when you are the one causing the problems. 2. Only concerned about your conducting, your vision of the music and fail to connect with musicians.  3. Thinking that it’s only about conducting - how about your leadership styles, inter...

Welcome back to season 3 of The Conductor’s Podcast. In this season I will be sharing things I’ve learned this past year, my experiences participating in competitions, interviews with some new and old friends, and live recordings of several Girls Who Conduct webinars! All About Chaowen Ting  

Last week I spoke with Karen on Marketing for Musicians, and we discussed boundaries and showing your uniqueness to the world, and understand who you are serving. In today's conversation, I spoke with Karen about another part of her specialty - career coach, and dig into how people have different definitions of success, and to find the answers from within. Karen Cubides is the passionate and...

Today's episode is a must listen for musicians as we learn marketing for ourselves, create opportunities and put ourselves out there for business! Karen Cubides is the passionate and engaging founder and CEO of the Karen Cubides Agency based in Nashville, Tennessee. Her holistic approach to coaching her clients allows her to serve a wide range of well-established musicians and young professio...

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 ensembl...

Today’s episode is the second half of my conversation with a long-time friend, Kevin Fitzgerald, current Associate Conductor of the Jacksonville Symphony. Last week we spoke about preparing for job applications and auditions, and today we will continue the conversation and hear all the behind the scene stories of navigating the business. As 2021 Tanglewood Music Center Conducting Fellow and four-t...

In today's episode, you will hear the first half of my conversation with a long-time friend, Kevin Fitzgerald, current Associate Conductor of the Jacksonville Symphony. We went way back to my years at the Eastman School of Music, and it's such a pleasure to speak with him on the topic of preparing for job applications and auditions. As 2021 Tanglewood Music Center Conducting Fellow and f...

Should I enter a graduate program? Look for jobs? Go to masterclasses? Those are some questions that I got asked the most. For us conductors, we have to create our own curriculum, our own path, and to make decisions all the time. In today's episode, I will share with you three main factors to consider when figuring out "what's next:" YOUR MUSICIANSHIP You have to be a good cond...

Last week I spoke with social media guru Nicole Riccardo about how musicians can create a meaningful online community through social media. She generously provided a lot of tips and suggestions for my listeners. When we talk about marketing, curating an image of our own for the world, it's unavoidable to discuss one's brand. Are you struggling with defining your "brand" or find...

I am not a person who is naturally good at social media - when I say I'm an introvert, many people would seem surprised, but I am really awkward starting a conversation with strangers. Flutist turned digital marketer, Nicole Riccardo, the Founder & President of NR Media was introduced to me through a common flutist friend years ago when I was just naively debating whether I should learn m...

Diversity Statement has become a more and more frequently asked application material. No matter you are applying for a music directorship or an educational role, the organization very often is interested in knowing your vision on diversity, inclusion, and equity.   Feeling stuck as a straight white man (or anything else)? No worries, let me show you how to kill your diversity vision, and how to re...