Muhamad Yusri

Sometimes, the question we ask when choosing a conducting masterclass to participate in is whether it is going to be a regular one (attend each year) or attend once and then move to another one the next time round. But what are the benefits of either one?

Many years back, I was able to choose on a yearly basis which conducting masterclass I would like to attend. It usually centred around who were teaching and where in the world it was. I was able to attend quite a few masterclass and learned from many professors and conductors. The reason for me back then was to have many varied points of views on conducting issues and also to learn from as many conductors and educators and colleagues as possible. I hoped to be able to add to my conducting knowledge and be able to perform better both as a conductor and as a conducting teacher.

There was also the element of professional contacts and outreach. When we attend the masterclasses, we work with not only the conducting tutors but also the band that is supporting the masterclass. There have been many instances where such contacts and connections have led to many future opportunities for the conductors to come back and conduct as a guest.

However, it can be quite confusing when you attend two masterclasses back to back! One set of teachers may want you to conduct in a particular way while the next set may feel that you are doing things wrongly and would like you to conduct in another way… this is of course for the same piece! So it can be quite confusing at times. My advice is to take their advice and guidance and learn as much as you can but stay true to your intentions for the music and if their suggestions work for you, keep them. If not, accept them as suggestions on how else the music can be interpreted and conducted. A good resource for conductors on masterclass is the All the Conducting Masterclasses website!

Photo credit – All the Conducting Masterclasses

I will share my take on the benefits of attending a regular conducting masterclass program next time. In the meantime, I welcome your thoughts and sharing on your experiences attending conducting masterclasses around the world. May we all learn from your generous sharing.