Approaching the conducting of new operas in a spirit of collaboration and experimentation. A course run in conjunction with the Royal Opera House

22 – 26 August 2023

This course is a collaboration between the Britten Pears Young Artist Programme and the Jette Parker Artists Programme at the Royal Opera House. The course will take place at Snape Maltings, Suffolk.

“The level of coaching on the course was unbeatable. Watching the Olympics straight after the Course and the relationships between the athletes receiving elite trackside advice from their Coaches it struck me that we had been working in exactly the same way – what a privilege.”
ROH Conducting Course participant, 2021

This course is for women and marginalised genders whose deep curiosity around form and tradition allows them to explore fresh approaches to interpretation and opera-making. We are looking for conductors who want to make opera with and for an emerging generation of collaborators and audiences.

The course will be led by Kanako Abe and Sian Edwards, with Cee Haines and other guest specialists from the Royal Opera House and wider industry who’ll provide 360 degree support and inspiration.

The course puts recently composed repertoire in the spotlight. Participating conductors will have the opportunity to dive into new scores and prepare excerpts from a range of contemporary works, including excerpts from Oliver Leith’s Last Days, premiered in the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Theatre earlier this season.

In addition to working with singers, repetiteurs and orchestra, both privately and in public masterclass formats, the course will also include mentoring feedback and bespoke sessions on physical presence and movement, as well as talks on working with sound designers, and collaborating with composers and librettists while work is still in creation.

The course will end with a public presentation of the assigned excerpts to invited guests.

You will need to be able to be in Snape Maltings for the full duration of the course 22 – 26 August 2023. There is no fee to attend, we will cover travel costs, accommodation and most meals. Additionally, we have a small budget to provide financial support, including for those who need support with removing barriers to access or childcare costs.

“I am so thankful for this opportunity […] we are encouraged to learn but also to discover and explore our individuality as conductors and as musicians, not trying to be like anyone else. I think the idea of […] collaborating is deeply needed nowadays. Conducting can be a very lonely career, but this course reminded us that we are not alone.”
ROH Conducting Course participant, 2021

We are looking for conductors who are women or of marginalised genders who are technically proficient and already have professional experience conducting an orchestra, but who are still at the start of their careers and want to push themselves creatively and expressively at their edge and are keen to expand their thinking about the future of the artform. We are accepting applications internationally, you do not have to be a resident of the UK or EU in order to apply for this course.

This course is a workshop supported by the ENOA network.

applications now closed