ICWF 2018: Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Berlioz

Sarah Pearson and Larry Rachleff

From July 27 through August 7, 2018 the International Conducting Workshop and Festival will present a workshop in Lviv, Ukraine in partnership with the Lviv Philharmonic, Taras Krysa, Music Director. This workshop will focus on the music of Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and Berlioz and will be led again by two of the most internationally esteemed conducting teachers: Larry Rachleff (Rice University) and Donald Schleicher (University of Illinois). They will be assisted by Benjamin Loeb (ICWF Artistic Director). Susan Lorette Dunn (Rice) and Russell Miller (Eastman) will be returning as well. Immediately following this workshop from August 8-12, 2018, ICWF will present ICWF 2018: Performance led by Lviv Philharmonic Music Director Taras Krysa and ICWF Artistic Director Benjamin Loeb during which participants will give public performances of the repertoire from the previous workshop.

What we do

Whether you are highly trained conductor, a promising student, or an avid amateur, our workshops offer many opportunities to improve as a conductor. We believe the best learning comes from studying standard repertoire with world class faculty in an intensive, yet non-competitive, professional, and supportive atmosphere. For practical experience, all participants conduct both full orchestra and piano sextet. Subjects studied include conducting technique, interpretation, score study, analysis, rehearsal technique, stage deportment, and musician interaction. All participants receive equal opportunity in a completely transparent organization.

Details

Date of Workshop: July 27 through August 7 and August 8-12, 2018 (12 days and 5 days)
Location: Lviv, Ukraine
Host Orchestra: Lviv Philharmonic

Basic details:

  • Thirteen full orchestra sessions (one more than last year)
  • Nine 3-hour Sextet sessions 
  • Each conductor will get a minimum 65 minutes with full orchestra
  • Post-session discussions focusing on repertoire, career, score study, and more
  • Stage deportment sessions led by Susan Dunn
  • Lunch (or one other meal included)
  • Hotels and breakfast are not included in the tuition this year, but conductors may choose from two affordable hotel options at significantly reduced rates, both of which include breakfast.
  • More convenient and less expensive destination
  • Free half day
  • Airport transfers included
  • Farewell party
  • Professional concert and rehearsal hall setting for all sessions
  • All sessions will be Digitally Recorded in High Definition and concert quality audio, and ample opportunity will be provided to view session recordings. At the end of each conducting session or day, each conductor will receive a digital file of that session. Participants must provide his or her own storage media (USB 3.0 hard drive is most recommended).
  • One orchestra concert and four chamber concerts given by faculty and guest artists to illuminate the repertoire of the workshop.

Immediately following this workshop will be ICWF: Performance, a workshop focusing on performing the repertoire from the first workshop. Up to 12 participants will rehearse and perform under the guidance of Lviv Philharmonic Music Director Taras Krysa and ICWF Artistic Director Benjamin Loeb who will also assign the specific performance repertoire. All participants will perform at least twice in public concerts.Geoff Loff

Levels of Participation

  • One level of participation 
  • Each conductor will get at least 65 minutes with the full orchestra (five 10-minute sessions and one 15-minute session)
  • Sextet sessions will be equally divided among all conductors. 
  • Auditing is also available, but does not include any active podium time. The auditor level is designed for those either who have little experience and training, but show promise, or those with ample opportunity to conduct throughout the year, but want to use this workshop as a chance to observe master teaching.Todd Craven

Concerts

We will present one Orchestra Concert on the first day of the workshop and four Chamber Concerts throughout the workshop featuring faculty, guest artists, and member of the Lviv Philharmonic in programs designed to illuminate the workshop repertoire. Participants will not perform on these concerts.

ICWF 2018: Performance

In response to years of requests from participants, immediately following ICWF 2018: Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Berlioz, we will present ICWF 2018: Performance led by Lviv Philharmonic Music Director Taras Krysa and ICWF Artistic Director Benjamin Loeb.

  • Open only to participants and auditors of the first workshop
  • Limited to 12 conductors
  • All conductors will prepare and perform the repertoire from the earlier workshop
  • Conductors will be assigned movements of the repertoire and will perform in at least two of three public concerts.
  • There will be 1100 minutes of rehearsal to prepare the three performances, so each conductor will have a minimum of 91 minutes rehearsal time.

This workshop will provide a great opportunity for participants to capture the highest quality professional video recording that can be used for applications and demo purposes. Conductors will have full rights to the recordings.

Faculty, Staff, Guest Artists

  • Larry Rachleff (Rice University)
  • Donald Schleicher (University of Illinois)
  • Susan Dunn (Rice University) 
  • Russell Miller (Eastman School of Music)
  • Taras Krysa (Lviv Philharmonic and UNLV)
  • Benjamin Loeb (Artistic Director, ICWF)
  • Eleni Matos (Mezzo Soprano)

Repertoire

  • 
Beethoven Symphony #1
  • Beethoven Symphony #3
  • Beethoven Symphony #5
  • Tchaikovsky Symphony #4
  • Tchaikosvky Symphony #5
  • Berlioz Symphonie fantastique
  • Berlioz Roman Carnival OvertureBryan Dunnewald

Lviv Philharmonic

Historically, in every city - whether it is Kyiv, Warsaw, Krakow or Berlin - Philharmonic holds a special place. Lviv Philharmonic has a rich history that goes back to different periods - Austrian, Polish, Soviet and Ukrainian.

Lviv PhilharmonicThe first official concert season of the Lviv Philharmonic (1902-1903) started in the concert hall of Skarbkowski Theatre (now Maria Zankovetska Theatre), which served as an excellent auditorium for public performances - 1200 seats, a large concert stage, fountains, confectionery, buffet and winter garden. In 1962 Philharmonic was settled into a magnificent Secession building (7 Tchaikovsky Street), built in 1907 for the Musical society of Galicia. The organ with two manuals and pedal was the luxury for organ recitals. Now in the center of the stage we can observe only façade of the instrument with its wooden pipes being decorated in Baroque style.

Lviv Philharmonic is one of the leading concert institutions of Ukraine, which in various forms has been popularizing good music at the international festivals, monograph concerts, concerts of young musicians and thematic evenings for secondary school students.

The annual International Music Festival "Virtuosi" was established by the Lviv Philharmonic in May 1981 (till 1990 it was called United Music Festival “Virtuosos of the Country”). Other festivals, including International Festival of Contemporary Music "Contrasts", International Festival of Conductors in Commemoration of Mykola Kolessa and the International Festival "Shymanovski Quartet and friends" also take place in the Lviv Philharmonic season.

Read more here.

Orchestra Sessions

  • The schedule to the Orchestra Sessions will be distributed about one week prior to the beginning of the workshop and will show the sessions each conductor is assigned, but not the repertoire. Conductors will choose the repertoire for each session during the workshop.
  • Conductors will have five 10-minute slots and one 15-minute slot (minimum of 65 minutes total)
  • Conductors will have essentially free choice of repertoire in the Orchestra sessions. Some sessions may be limited to Beethoven and/or Tchaikovsky, but by Orchestra Session 4, all repertoire will be available. The workshop assistant will collect 
  • All orchestra will take place in the historical Lviv Philharmonie on the concert stage.Joseph Kam

Sextet Sessions

  • The sextet is made of a string quintet from the Lviv Philharmonic and piano (Russell Miller) who will cover the woodwinds, brass, percussion, and string divisi.
  • During the Sextet sessions, we will cover all of the repertoire
  • Conductors will be able to request specific sections to conduct.
  • Sextets are specifically designed to allow us to explore the challenges of the repertoire in great detail. There will be more stopping for feedback from the faculty.
  • Sextet time will be equally divided among the conductors.
  • All sextet sessions will take place in the air-conditioned Lviv Philharmonie large rehearsal room.Nell Flanders Sextet

Discussion Sessions

  • Generally at the end of each day, the faculty will hold a half hour discussion session to recap the issues discovered in that day's sessions.
  • Conductors will have the opportunity to get one-on-one feedback from all the faculty during breaks and after each session.
  • Some discussion sessions will be scheduled around topics such as rehearsal technique, score study, career paths, and more.
  • Faculty are quite available for ad hoc individual and group discussions.Brandon Eldredge

Colleagues/network

One of the great benefits of the workshop is the opportunity to grow and develop a supportive network of conductor colleagues. These relationships can very often lead to professional and academic opportunities as well as lifelong friendships. While we can't claim credit for every success of our ICWF alumni, we are proud of their accomplishments and know that their experience at the workshops provided some positive learning that they used to further their career and love for music. 

Here is what some of our past participants have said about their ICWF experience.

Some of our past participants now hold or have held positions such as Berkeley Symphony Music DirectorEl Paso Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia OrchestraCharleston Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota OrchestraDetroit Symphony Orchestra, Utah Symphony Associate ConductorNorwalk Symphony Music DIrector, Amarillo Symphony Music Director, National Symphony Assistant Conductor,  Santa Cruz Symphony Orchestra Music Director, Buffalo Symphony Associate ConductorKansas Symphony Assistant ConductorArkansas Symphony Assistant Conductor, and many more.  Our past participants have also been accepted into the most prestigious conducting programs in the world including at The Juilliard School, the Curtis Institute of Music, the Peabody Institute, Rice University, University of Illinois, University of Michigan, Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, New England Conservatory, and many more.Chelsea Gallo

Accommodations

This year, hotel accommodations are not included in the tuition fee, but we have made very good arrangements with the IBIS Styles hotel. If you would prefer to find other accommodations, you are free to do so. ICWF will still provide a group lunch (or one meal). 

Ibis Styles Lviv Center (3-star)

  • Modern, Single rooms
  • Air-conditioning
  • Breakfast included
  • 7 minute walk from the Lviv Philharmonie
  • Free Wifi
  • Restaurant on site
  • $450 for 13 nights single occupancy (special rate). Hotel check in is July 26 and check out is August 8. For ICWF 2018: Performance, check out is August 13.
  • Double room occupancy available for $225 additional
  • Additional single room nights are $50/night which include breakfast only.

  • Ibis Styles

Guests accompanying conductors will also be provided lunch and free access to all public ICWF events.

Specific schedule

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

  • 9:00-12:00 Concert 1, Rehearsal 1

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Thursday, July 26, 2018

Friday, July 27, 2018

Saturday, July 28, 2018

Sunday, July 29, 2018

  • 9:00-12:00 Sextet 4
  • 13:30-17:30 Orchestra 1 (Beethoven only) - 4 hours
  • 17:30-19:30 Stage Presence (Regular 2)

Monday, July 30, 2018

  • 9:00-12:00 Orchestra 2 (Beethoven only)
  • 13:30-16:30 Orchestra 3 (Beethoven only)
  • 17:00-19:00 Stage Presence (Advanced)

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

  • 9:00-12:00 Sextet 5
  • 13:30-16:30 Sextet 6
  • 17:00-19:00 Stage Presence (Speaking 1)

Wednesday, August 1, 2018

  • 9:00-12:00 Orchestra 4
  • 13:30-16:30 Orchestra 5
  • 17:00-19:00 Stage Presence (Speaking 2)

Thursday, August 2, 2018

  • 9:00-13:00 Orchestra 6 - 4 hours
  • 14:30-17:30 Sextet 7

Friday, August 3, 2018

  • 9:00-12:00 Sextet 8
  • 13:30-16:30 Sextet 9
  • 16:45-17:30 Career Discussion

Saturday, August 4, 2018

  • 9:00-12:00 Orchestra 7
  • 13:30-16:30 Orchestra 8

Sunday, August 5, 2018

  • 9:00-13:00 Orchestra 9
  • PM Free
  • 20:00 Chamber Concert 4

Monday, August 6, 2018

  • 9:00-12:00 Orchestra 10
  • 13:30-16:30 Orchestra 11
  • 16:45-17:45 Administration/Career Discussion

Tuesday, August 7, 2018

  • 9:00-12:00 Orchestra 12
  • 13:30-16:30 Orchestra 13
  • 18:00 Farewell Party

Wednesday, August 8, 2018 (ICWF 2018: Performance)

  • 10:00-14:00 Orchestra 1 - 4 hours
  • PM FREE

Thursday, August 9, 2018 (ICWF 2018: Performance)

  • 9:00-12:00 Orchestra 2
  • 13:30-16:30 Orchestra 3

Friday, August 10, 2018 (ICWF 2018: Performance)

  • 9:00-13:00 Concert 2 Dress
  • Afternoon FREE
  • 20:00 Concert 2: Beethoven Coriolan Overture, Symphony #3 and Tchaikovsky Symphony #4

Saturday, August 11, 2018 (ICWF 2018: Performance)

  • 9:00-13:00 Concert 3 Dress
  • Afternoon FREE
  • 20:00 Concert 3: Beethoven Egmont Overture and Symphony #5 and Tchaikovsky Symphony #5

Sunday, August 12, 2018 (ICWF 2018: Performance)

  • 9:00-13:00 Concert 4 Dress
  • Afternoon FREE
  • 20:00 Concert 4: Berlioz Roman Carnival Overture, Beethoven Symphony #1 and Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique

Fees and deadlines

  • Application fee $50
  • ICWF 2018: Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Berlioz Tuition $3,670
  • ICWF 2018: Performance $2,300
  • ICWF 2018: Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Berlioz Full Workshop Auditor $1,500
  • Hotel Ibis Styles Lviv Center (13 nights) $450
  • Hotel Ibis Style (6 nights for ICWF 2018: Performance) $180
  • Monday, January 15, 2018 First Application Deadline
  • Monday, January 29, 2018 Notifications for acceptance
  • After February 19, 2018 Applications will be reviewed and processed on a space-available basis.
  • Two weeks after notification $500 non-refundable tuition deposit due. Generally, applications are processed within two weeks of receipt.
  • Late payment of tuition deposit or tuition payment may result in loss of spot.
  • If a conductor must cancel his or her spot, the tuition deposit and/or tuition will be refunded only if a suitable replacement is found to fill the spot.

Fees must be paid according to schedule in $US.

To apply, click here.

All tuition fees paid by credit card will have a 3.5% service fee added.

Online payments preferred, but US checks (free) and bank transfer ($45 fee) will be accepted. The application is not complete and will not be processed until the payment is received. 

Application fees and tuition deposits are non-refundable.

Here's our listing at www.musicalchairs.info

Scholarships and Financial Aid

The Joel Fan Foundation

The International Conducting Workshop and Festival has a fiscal sponsorship relationship with the Joel Fan Foundation. This means that the ICWF can accept grants, accept tax-deductible donations, and carry on other activities under the tax-exempt status of their sponsor. To help you raise money for yourself, the Joel Fan Foundation and the ICWF can each write letters on your behalf. In the last ten years the ICWF granted over $150,000 in tuition scholarships through the generous help of the Joel Fan Foundation.

Technically, you can act as a fundraising agent for the ICWF and raise money from your own network of support for your tuition scholarship. Anyone you know who would like to help you would then send their support to the Joel Fan Foundation ArtMatch and suggest that the money go to your scholarship. Then, the Foundation will grant the ICWF the money along with the suggestion to whom the money should be applied. The ICWF would then accept the suggestion of the Joel Fan Foundation and apply the money received to the conductor. In the past, the money was 100% granted according to the suggestions. The ICWF guarantees full credit for the amount raised through the Joel Fan Foundation, even if the specific money is not allocated directly to your scholarship. The Joel Fan Foundation has generously agreed not to charge any fees for the processing of this money - the usual fees for fiscal sponsorship relationships are 3-6%.

ArtMatch Process:

  1. Make all checks to the "Joel Fan Foundation ArtMatch". Please do not indicate the name of the participant on the check.
  2. To facilitate the processing of the grants, the sponsor should say exactly the following in a cover letter:
    To The Joel Fan Foundation:
    I am making this donation to the Joel Fan Foundation ArtMatch in support of the International Conducting Workshop and Festival. I suggest that this money be applied to the tuition scholarship of [name of participant].

    Sincerely,
    [Name of Sponsor]
    [Address of Sponsor]
    [Email Address of Sponsor]
  3. Mail checks and letters to:
    The Joel Fan Foundation ArtMatch
    c/o International Conducting Workshop and Festival
    3955 E 59th St.
    Davenport, IA 52807
    USA
  4. The receipt of the check will be acknowledged by the Joel Fan Foundation and the application of the tuition scholarship will be acknowledged by the ICWF.


The Joel Fan Foundation is a registered 501(3)(c) non-profit corporation and qualifies for tax-deductible contributions.Sean Radermacher

The International Conducting Workshop and Festival is also supported by the REC Music Foundation, a recognized 501(c)3. To help ICWF, please consider making a donation.

Application

Click here to apply

Details

  • Dates July 27th thru August 12th
  • Location Lviv, Ukraine
  • Orchestra Lviv Philharmonic