In September 2006, Virginia began teaching a new course,
the Conductors' Forum, which she recently developed for The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.
The
Conductors’ Forum is a year-long course that helps conducting majors develop various career and personal skills needed
to become a successful conductor, including leadership, career management, orchestra administration and management, artistic
planning and programming, and verbal communication. The course will include opportunities to meet various guest conductors,
speakers and artists in an informal classroom setting.
2007-08 Speakers
John Axelrod, Music Director and Chief Conductor,
Luzerner Sinfonie Orchester [audience development]
Bastiaan Blomhert,
conductor and musicologist, Floricor Editions, The Netherlands [programming and conducting wind repertoire]
Thomas Cabaniss, Musical Animateur, Education and Community Partnerships, Philadelphia Orchestra
[education and outreach]
Ed Cumming, Music Director, Hartford Symphony
[responsibilities as music director of a regional orchestra]
Mary Lou Falcone
[public relations and career development]
Alan Gilbert, Music Director-Designate
of the New York Philharmonic, is chief conductor of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and principal guest conductor
of Hamburg's NDR Symphony Orchestra
Robert Grossman, Philadelphia Orchestra
Librarian [functions of a major orchestra library]
Israel Gursky,
assistant conductor, Washington Opera [conducting opera and working with singers]
Paul Hawkshaw, Yale faculty, Bruckner scholar [choosing an edition to conduct]
James Jordan, Westminster Choir College [Laban Movement Method]
Mary Kinder Loiselle, Director of Community Engagement and Career Development Services, Curtis
[communications and speaking to the public]
Nicholas McGegan, Music Director, Philharmonia
Baroque Orchestra, San Francisco; Artistic Director, International Handel-Festival Göttingen [conducting early music]
Larry Robbins, Retired faculty, University of Pennsylvania; Chairman of the Board, Ticket
Philadelphia [decision making]
Jesse Rosen, Executive Vice President
and Managing Director, League of American Orchestras [career development]
Melinda Whiting, Vice President for Communications, Curtis [communications and speaking to the public]
2006-07 Speakers
David
Amado, Music Director, Delaware Symphony Orchestra [responsibilities as music director of a regional orchestra, auditions]
Jason Bagdade, ICM Talent [management of conductors]
Dr.
Al Blatter, Curtis faculty [acoustics]
Henry Fogel, President and CEO, American
Symphony Orchestra League [state of American orchestras, advice to conductors]
Richard Griscom,
Head, Music Library, University of Pennsylvania [Ormandy and Stokowski collections]
David
Hayes, Music Director, The Philadelphia Singers; Director of Orchestral and Conducting Studies, Mannes College of
Music; Conducting Staff, The Philadelphia Orchestra [conducting opera and chorus]
Jennifer
Higdon, Composer and Composition Faculty, Curtis [collaborating with composers]
Joe Kluger, Associate, AEA Consulting; Past President, Philadelphia Orchestra [orchestra governance issues, budget]
Lynn S. Levy, Managing Director, Arts Entertainment & Media Management
[intellectual property rights]
Alasdair Neale, Music Director, Sun Valley Summer Symphony
and Marin Symphony; Principal Guest Conductor, New World Symphony and San Francisco Conservatory of Music [developing a summer
festival orchestra, efficient rehearsal techniques]
Kile Smith, Curator, and Stu Serio,
Assistant Curator, Fleisher Collection of Orchestral Music, Free Library of Philadelphia [orientation of library]
Ignat Solzhenitsyn, Music Director, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia [speaking to an audience]
Dianne Wittry, Music Director, Allentown and Norwalk Symphony Orchestras [artistic programming]
Elizabeth Wright, Vice President for Development, Curtis [development and fund raising]
Return to main Journal page.
