The Conductor's Podcast

Zoom Interviews are now more common since Covid - and organizations are often skipping the traditional phone interview and conduct a zoom interview for shortlisted candidates instead. If you've had unsuccessful zoom interviews in the past, you want to do a quick self-check and see if you've got it right, and know the purpose of the interview: to obtain enough interest in order advance to...

As the largest body of an orchestra, it's always great to have a string sectional to unify style, articulation, and even phrasing. If you are not a string player yourself, what are the mistakes to avoid when leading a string sectional? Instead of: Get stuck in bowing discussions Not knowing your terms Give instructions on bowing or fingering  Do this: Always have a set of bowings marked in th...

Welcome Back to Season 2 of The Conductor's Podcast!  With a carefully designed season, we will be focusing on Conductors How-To and share all the tips on planning efficient rehearsals, preparing for auditions, giving a great job interview, marketing and branding for musicians, and even more!  All About Chaowen Ting  

In this wisdom-filled episode, my guest is the world-renowned conductor, Diane Wittry. She is the music director of the Allentown Symphony and the Music Director and Conductor of the Garden State Philharmonic. She is also the author of award-winning books, “Beyond the Baton” and “Baton Basics - Communicating Music through Gestures.” To understand the essence of conducting and how to improve as a c...

Hi there!  Happy end of September and welcome to episode no.9 of the Conductor’s Podcast Wisdom series, a new series full of shared life experiences and, of course, wisdom! This series is aired on the last Thursday of each month, and in each episode, I am going to pose a question to 10 musicians, conductors, or business gurus. So including myself, you will hear all the goodies from a wide variety...

In this episode of The Conductor’s Podcast, my guest is Gabriel Lena Frank.  As she continues to be a remarkable composer, she’s fulfilling her passion of wanting to live by 100 years and seeing that music becomes more accessible to individuals who really want and need it.  Tune in this episode and be inspired on how creativity impacts society and how you can navigate the world of music despite be...

Opera is one of the greatest and the most classic art forms. It combines the ingenuity of a great storyline and the elegance of music in one captivating show.  As this classic art form continue to become a favorite among enthusiasts, new operas are giving audiences a fresh perspective to shows that feature newly-composed music and storylines that haven’t been heard yet.  In this episode, Kanma Gup...

In this truly exciting episode, the one and only Dr. Cynthia Johnson Turner discuss the broad meaning behind good conducting and how you can stand up on the podium as a leader.  Johnston Turner, a dual citizen of Canada and the United States, earned her Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY and her Master of Education in Music Education from the Uni...

Want to booster your productivity? Listen to today's episode where I share my newly discovred productivity hacks! 1. Always check your why: What's your purpose? 2. Morning Pages Journal: clear your mind before starting your day! 3. App: Todoist Answer these questions daily: Identify the most important tasks (one or two) Is what I am doing today supporting my long-term goals? The setback...

Hi there! Happy end of August and welcome to episode no.8 of the Conductor’s Podcast Wisdom series, a new series full of shared life experiences and, of course, wisdom! This series is aired on the last Thursday of each month, and in each episode, I am going to pose a question to 10 musicians, conductors, or business gurus. So including myself, you will hear all the goodies from a wide variety of p...

While conducting music requires a specific level of technique, one’s success as a conductor cannot be complete without mastering musicianship.  In this episode of The Conductor’s Podcast, I am beyond ecstatic to have Dr. Carolyn Watson as my guest as she enlightens young and experienced conductors alike, the essence of musicianship, musical intent and musical conviction when conducting study.  Car...

Happy August to you! August, for me, is the mark of a new beginning. As we ready ourselves for a new journey, this episode will surely give you a boost of new learnings for the new generation.  Today, Aubrey Bergauer graces the show with her expertise in human resources, organizational culture, strategizing guests to be patrons, diversity and inclusivity to “changing the narrative”. She also empha...

Score study is such an important topic, and I've touched on this a few times in the podcast. However, I am going to organize things together for you, so it's a central place for you! In today's episode, I will be sharing 1) how I study scores when I don't have enough time, 2) some tools that I mixed and matched, and 3) great tips from the Girls Who Conduct Discovery Friday seri...

Welcome to the Conductor’s Podcast Summer Mini Series! Hi there! Welcome to the Conductor’s Podcast Summer mini series. During the month of July, we are taking a break from the usual interview conversations. Instead, I will be sharing some tips on different aspects of a conductor’s job with you every week. In today’s episode, I will be talking about how to improve my conducting! This is the questi...

Hi there! Happy end of July and welcome to the seventh edition of the Conductor’s Podcast Wisdom series, a new series full of shared life experiences and, of course, wisdom! This series is aired on the last Monday of each month, and in each episode, I am going to pose a question to 10 musicians, conductors, or business gurus. So including myself, you will hear all the goodies from a wide variety o...

Hi there! Welcome to the Conductor’s Podcast Summer mini series. The summer months of June, July, and August are traditionally “off-season” for performing artists, where many people make summer homes at various festivals. This summer I turned down all the work engagements to refresh and recharge myself, and I thought that it could be fun for us to have different mini series with the podcast. There...

Welcome to the Conductor’s Podcast Summer Mini Series! Hi there! Welcome to the Conductor’s Podcast Summer mini series. During the month of July, we are taking a break from the usual interview conversations. Instead, I will be sharing some tips on different aspects of a conductor’s job with you every week. In today’s episode, I will be talking about prepping for rehearsals .   For me, the most imp...

Welcome to the Conductor’s Podcast Summer Mini Series! Hi there! Welcome to the Conductor’s Podcast Summer mini series. During the month of July, we are taking a break from the usual interview conversations. Instead, I will be sharing some tips on different aspects of a conductor’s job with you every week. In today’s episode, I will be talking about my programming process .   MY CORE CONSIDERATION...

July is just around the corner! Who could’ve thought that six months of 2022 had gone by so quickly? I remember so many of my New Year’s resolutions and I know I have to catch up with all of these goals. However, such “chasing-the-goal” action should not compromise one’s mental health and happiness. It should not also sacrifice your life’s purpose. In this episode of the Conductor’s Podcast, condu...

Hi there! Happy end of June and welcome to the fifth edition of the Conductor’s Podcast Wisdom series, a new series full of shared life experiences and, of course, wisdom! This series is aired on the last Monday of each month, and in each episode, I am going to pose a question to 10 musicians, conductors, or business gurus. So including myself, you will hear all the goodies from a wide variety of...

In today's episode, I interviewed the Executive Director of the August Symphony (GA), Anne Catherine Murray on how she manages an orchestra.  She’ll share her wisdom on the management side of a performing arts organization and a theater, discuss the challenges of managing personnel, how she was able to find her purpose, and how she navigated problems brought by the pandemic Anne Catherine Mur...

Sometimes, being a woman means having to handle a lot of things on your plate.  For conductor Sarah Ioannides, these responsibilities prove that she can conquer so many mountains while being able to express herself in music and art.  In this week's episode of The Conductor’s Podcast, Sarah talks about the art of being ready, the essence of leadership, and the wonders of being a mom.  Currentl...

Conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya joins me and speaks about her experience preparing for, conducting, and navigating a career thriving between concert halls and opera pits. Russian-American conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya is a fiercely committed advocate for Russian masterpieces, operatic rarities, and contemporary works on the leading edge of classical music. She has conducted more than 40 world premiere...

An open and honest review of what I learned this past season (2022-23) as staff conductor for three different organizations across two states..... 1. take good of my own mental and physical health! 2. traveling has a much larger impacts on myself and my family than I had expected.... 3. People Skills!! People Skills!! People Skills! 4. how and when should I repeat the same repertoire with differen...

Hi there! Happy end of May and welcome to the fifth edition of the Conductor’s Podcast Wisdom series, a new series full of shared life experiences and, of course, wisdom! This series is aired on the last Monday of each month, and in each episode, I am going to pose a question to 10 musicians, conductors, or business gurus. So including myself, you will hear all the goodies from a wide variety of p...