Department of Conducting

 

 

 

 

The Department of Conducting at the mdw is one of the world's most important training centres for conductors. Influenced by the spirit of Hans Swarowski and the Viennese sound tradition, it is firmly anchored in the Viennese conducting tradition. Its students are prepared for their future careers as orchestral conductors, choral conductors or opera accompanists in close connection with Austrian orchestral culture, with intensive orchestral practice and a comprehensive range of teaching by artistically excellent teachers.

The conducting profession is one of the most exposed and challenging tasks in the art business: it is a matter of making music sound in a way that is equally dedicated to the work, meets the needs of the orchestras and ensembles involved and is also oriented towards the realities of the music business.

Conducting takes place on three levels: repertoire study (preparation), repertoire communication (rehearsal work) and repertoire presentation (performance). At the mdw, future conductors acquire the skills to comprehensively tackle a work in all its facets and to develop their own, consolidated creative idea - in order to finally be able to effectively communicate their musical ideas to an ensemble and subsequently to the audience.

In its teaching practice, the Institute for Music Direction cooperates not only with orchestras and institutes of the mdw, but also with renowned external orchestras and cultural institutions. The students of the Institute work on their continuous professional development with the Pro Arte Orchestra as well as the Studiochor of the mdw.