PROGRAM OVERVIEW

A Cappella Conducting Masterclass
with Podium Coaches Marguerite L. Brooks, Robert Sund, and Special Guest Hans Graf
January 14-17, 2010
Houston, TX
Hosted by the Houston Chamber Choir, Robert Simpson, Artistic Director

Chorus America continues its series of highly successful professional development programs for conductors by collaborating with master choral conductors and the Houston Chamber Choir.

The program will provide conductors with intensive conducting sessions, focused enrichment sessions, interactions with master conductors, and valuable networking forums.

• Work with celebrated conductors and teachers on the unique challenges of
  a cappella repertoire
• Move to the next level of professional development while refining conducting technique
• Build career-enhancing connections with conducting colleagues and mentors

LEVELS OF PARTICIPATION

Conducting Fellows, $650

• Podium Sessions: Each Conducting Fellow will have at least one hour of podium time working with a fully prepared professional chorus, under the tutelage of the Podium Coaches and will observe other Conducting Fellow podium sessions.
• Video Review Sessions: Each podium session will be followed by a video review with one of the Private Coaches.
• Enrichment Sessions: Led by faculty members and special guests, participants will attend informative enrichment sessions on essential topics for professional development.
• Small Group Advisor Meetings: Led by the Private Coaches, small group seminar-style meetings will be held various professional development topics.
• Deadline for Applications: October 26, 2009 – see Conducting Fellows Application page for more details and application requirements. Up to 18 will be selected.

Conducting Associates, $350

• Private Lesson: Each pre-registered Conducting Associate will be scheduled for a one hour lesson with a private coach. The topic/focus of the lesson will be chosen by the Associate and may include a personal video review session with pre-recorded video materials supplied by the Associate
• Podium Session Observation: Conducting Associates will observe the Conducting Fellow podium sessions with the Podium Coaches.
• Enrichment Sessions: Led by faculty members and special guests, participants will attend informative enrichment sessions on essential topics for professional development. Two special enrichment sessions are scheduled for Conducting Associates only.
• Deadline for Registration: December 18, 2009 – see Associates/Auditors Registration page for details. Spaces filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Auditors, $250 full session or $100 per day

• Audit podium sessions and general enrichment sessions
• Deadline for registration: December 18, 2009 – see Associates/Auditors Registration page for details. Spaces filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

REPERTOIRE
Conducting Fellows will be assigned selected excerpts from the following works which represent three major areas of a cappella repertoire:

American Music
• Samuel Barber: Mary Hynes (No. 1) from Reincarnations, pub. Schirmer
• Samuel Barber: The Coolin’ (No. 3) from Reincarnations, pub. Schirmer
• Charles Ives: Psalm 67, pub. Associated Music Pub.
• Chistopher Theofanidis: God picks up the reed-flute world and blows from Messages to myself,
not in print – Chorus America will provide to participants
Scandinavian Music
• Gunnar Hahn: Rondo Lapponico, pub. Gunnar Hahn Publishing
• Trond Kverno: Ave Maris Stella, pub. Walton Choral
• Wilhelm Stenhammar: September (No. 1) from Three choral ballads, pub. Walton Choral
• Wilhelm Stenhammar: The Garden of Seraglio (No. 2) from Three choral ballads, pub. Walton Choral
European and South American
• Felix Mendelssohn: Richte mich Gott, pub. Alfred Publishing
• Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina: Super flumina Babylonis, from Choral Public Domain Library
• Astor Piazzolla arr. Zadoff: La muerto del Angel, pub. Ediciones GCC

For more information, please contact:
Jonas Cartano, Director of Programs, Chorus America
jonas@chorusamerica.org, 202.331.7577 x247, fax 202.331.7599

The Chorus America Conducting Masterclass series is supported in part by generous funding from the Houston Arts Alliance; The Brown Foundation, Inc. of Houston; Houston Endowment; Chorus America’s John Alexander Conducting Faculty Chair endowment; and the National Endowment for the Arts.