ICWF 2026 NBOBO August

What we do

Whether you are highly trained conductor, a promising student, or an avid amateur, whether you have a job or aspire to be a Music Director of a professional, school, or community orchestra, our workshops offer many opportunities to improve as a conductor. We believe the best learning comes from studying standard repertoire from world class faculty and observing your colleagues struggle through the same challenges in an intensive and immersive, 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.

We also offer opportunities for soloists - instrumental or vocal - who are ready to perform with full orchestra in public and need to build their experience and video portfolio. All concerto performances are conducted by ICWF Artistic Director Benjamin Loeb and will have more than ample time to prepare. They also include numerous one-on-one sessions with Loeb to prepare all the subtleties of the performance.

Details

Dates: 
• General Dates - August 9-24, 2026
• Workshop 1 - August 9-16, 2026 (Khudyev)
• Workshop 2 - August 17-24, 2026 (Hotoda)
• Concert 1 - August 16, 2026
• Concert 2 - August 24, 2026
• Repertoire for conductors to include Beethoven Symphonies #5 and 7 and Dvorak Symphonies #8 and 9 and more!

Location: Ústí nad Labem, Czech

Host Orchestra: Orchestra of the City of Ústí nad Labem

Basic details for each workshop:

• Five 3-hour full orchestra sessions
• One 2-hour full orchestra dress rehearsal
• One Public Performances
• Conductors will get 75 minutes rehearsal time
• 30-minute extra session time is available for five conductors (by application)
• Post-session discussions focusing on repertoire, career, score study, and more
• Hotels and breakfast are not included in the tuition, but conductors may select the comfortable, affordable, and convenient hotel option arranged by ICWF at reduced rates which includes breakfast.
• Convenient and inexpensive destination (fly to Prague or Dresden then bus, train, or car to Ústí nad Labem)
• Professional concert and rehearsal hall setting for all sessions
• All sessions will be Digitally Recorded in High Definition and concert quality audio, and conductors will have ample opportunity to view session recordings. At the end of each conducting session or day, participants will receive a digital file of that session. Participants must provide his or her own storage media (1Tb USB 3.0 hard drive is most recommended).
  
  

Levels of Participation

• Available for up to 12 conductors per workshop
• Each conductor/soloist will approximately 75 minutes with full orchestra not including dress rehearsal or performance time
• Half-hour extra session time available for 5 conductors
• Conductors may participate in both workshops
  
  

Faculty

• Farkhad Khudyev (Music Director University Texas Austin Orchestra)
• Rei Hotoda (Music Director Las Vegas Philharmonic and Fresno Philharmonic)
• Benjamin Loeb (Artistic Director, ICWF)

Repertoire

• Beethoven Symphonies #5 (Khudyev) and 7 (Hotoda)
• Dvorak Symphonies #8 (Khudyev) and 9 (Hotoda)
• Overtures: Beethoven Coriolan and Fidelio, Dvorak Carnival, Rossini L'Italiana in Algeri, and more TBD

Repertoire is subject to change

Orchestra Sessions

• Conductors will have two free choice sessions to explore possible performance choices
• Conductors will have three sessions to prepare their concert selection
• All orchestra sessions will take place on the historical Opera Ballet concert stage.

Sextet Sessions

• The sextet is made of a string quintet of leaders in the host orchestra and a pianist who will cover the woodwinds, brass, percussion, and string divisi.
• During the Sextet sessions, we will make an effort to cover all of the repertoire.
• Sextet time will be equally divided among the conductors.
• 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 than in the orchestra sessions.

Concerts

At this workshop, we will have two public performances with live audience presenting selected repertoire from the workshop. Each concerts will be led by the conducting participants.

Based on the participants' preferences and the advice of the ICWF faculty and advisors, each conductor will be assigned in advance a pair of movements or overture for performance with the host orchestra (Orchestra of the Theater of the City of Ústí nad Labem). Each conductor will have approximately 75 minutes of podium time for rehearsal not including the dress rehearsal and performance. Each concert will have three rehearsals and a dress rehearsal. The exact rehearsal schedule may be created based on the difficulty of preparation of the individual movements, but conductors will have basically equitable time. 

Conductors will be provided professional quality conductor cam footage. Soloists will receive professional quality soloist cam footage. Both feeds will have professional quality audio. The concerts will not be livestreamed. Conductors will receive video of the full concert as well as the conductor camera footage for their individual performance and will have full rights for use for study, applications and auditions, and non-commercial rebroadcast and streaming.

There is an extra session the day after the concert during which conductors will have a half hour to conduct their choice of repertoire on the concert. These extra sessinos will be available to five conductors by application and additional fee.

See the detailed schedule for the Concert week schedules.

Concerts: August 16 and 24, 2026

Fees:
Performance Participation - $3150 per workshop
Hotel - will be reserved at discount rates for participants

Discussion Sessions

• Conductors and soloists will have discussion sessions with ICWF faculty before the first rehearsal and have the opportunity for more during the week if requested. 
• Faculty will be quite available for ad hoc individual and group discussions around various topics such as career development and programming.

Chamber Concerts

There will be no Chamber Concerts at this workshop.

Concerto/Aria opportunities

There will be no concerto opportunities avaialble for this workshop.

Colleagues and 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 Fresno Symphony Music Director,  El Paso Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Charleston Symphony Orchestra, Illinois Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Knoxville Symphony, Utah Symphony Associate Conductor, Norwalk Symphony Music Director, San Diego Symphony, Amarillo Symphony Music Director, National Symphony Assistant Conductor,  Santa Cruz Symphony Orchestra Music Director, Memphis Symphony Assistant Conductor, Buffalo Philharmonic Associate Conductor, Kansas Symphony Assistant Conductor,  Symphony Orchestra Northwest Arkansas 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.

Accommodations

To be announced

Detailed schedule

Fees and deadlines

• Application fee $50
  
• Participation fee workshop $3150 
• Applications accepted now
• No application deadline. Applications will be processed within 24 hours and acceptances will be based on space available with priority given to past ICWF participants.
• Two weeks after notification $500 non-refundable tuition deposit due. Generally, applications are processed within two weeks of receipt.
• All tuition must be paid within 15 days after acceptance.
• Late payment of tuition deposit or tuition payment may result in loss of spot.
• If a conductor must cancel his or her spot, the tuition deposit and/or tuition will be refunded according to the schedule below:
  • Application fees and tuition deposits are non-refundable.
  • 100% refundable if requested two months prior to the first session
  • 50% refundable if requested one month prior to the first session
  • non-refundable within one month prior to the first session. 
    Fees must be paid according to schedule in US$.

CONDUCTORS - APPLY NOW

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. 

Scholarships and Financial Aid

Arts Education and Performance Management Service

The International Conducting Workshop and Festival is a project of Arts Education and Performance Management Service (www.AEPMS.org). 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, AEPMS will create a "Project" which is your participation at ICWF. As a Project of AEPMS, we may accept donations that support the project which would help you cover your cost. This will allow you to offer your patrons (including parents or other family members) the opportunity to get a tax deduction for their support. In the last twenty years the ICWF granted over $150,000 in tuition scholarships through the generous help of the Joel Fan Foundation ArtMatch and now we will be doing essentially the same thing with Arts Education and Performance Management Service.

Technically, you can act as a fundraising agent for AEPMS 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 Arts Education and Performance Management Service and direct it to the project we create for your participation. You would be responsible for covering whatever costs were not raised through donations (which might be everything or nothing depending on how much you raise.) 

AEPMS Process:

1. Make all checks to "Arts Education and Performance Management Services" or "AEPMS" and in the memo line, write in the project name or the conductor's name.
2. To enable the correct accounting of the donation, the sponsor should say exactly the following in a cover letter:
   To Arts Education and Performance Management Services:
   I am making this donation to the Arts Education and Performance Management Services in support of the International Conducting Workshop and Festival Project [CONDUCTOR NAME].
   Sincerely,
   [Name of Sponsor]
   [Address of Sponsor]
   [Email Address of Sponsor]
3. Mail checks and letters to:
   Arts Education and Performance Management Services
   3513 Cabriolet Ct
   Plano TX 75023
   USA
4. The receipt of the donation will be acknowledged by AEPMS and the amount of the donation will be applied toward the project of your participation.

The Arts Education and Performance Management Services is a registered 501(3)(c) non-profit corporation and qualifies for tax-deductible contributions.

Orchestra of the Theater of the City of Ústí nad Labem

The Orchestra of the City of Usti nad Labem performs in all productions that are in the theater's repertoire. The cast of 41 members interprets even the most demanding works of Czech and world opera, operetta and ballet literature. His regular concert activity is also significant. The orchestra's repertoire includes, among others, Smetana's My Homeland, Dvořák's New World Symphony and Slavic Dances, Tchaikovsky's Pathetic Symphony and Festive Overture 1812, Johannes Brahms' Symphony No. 4, Mussorgsky's Pictures from an Exhibition and Franz Liszt's Les Préludes. Every year we also prepare a traditional Christmas concert for you, the obligatory part of which is always the Czech Christmas Mass by Jan Jakub Ryba, concerts of operetta melodies and new opera talents are also popular.

The NBOB orchestra invites top soloists to collaborate. He accompanied Ivan Ženáty in Dvořák's Violin Concerto in A minor, Igor Ardashev in Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto in B minor, and studied Janáček's Taras Bulba with the organist Aleš Bárta. Together with an opera choir and soloists, he performs vocal-instrumental works such as Dvořák's Stabat Mater and Mozart's, Verdi's and Dvořák's Requiem.

Application

APPLICATION FORM CONDUCTORS - APPLY NOW