G.P.

Now it is exactly two weeks after the Fitelberg conducting competition finished in Poland. I have been thinking a lot about all the things I saw and heard and learned there, and concluded that again it really was an experience worth living. I feel that after doing these two competitions (Matacic and Fitelberg) this autumn I am much better conductor already, have much wider repertoire than before, and am many many new friends richer!

The friends you get and the contacts you make in these occasions are the single most important thing you can get out of them. In fact, next week I will have a concert in Russia, which is possible only because I took part in a competition in South Korea two years ago, where I met a friend who helped me, which then resulted in me meeting new friends who then gave me a chance to conduct one Russian orchestra last year, and that one led to this engagement... So when you go to competitions, go there with open mind and heart - don't just lock yourself in the hotel room and pretend to be important!

For those who never saw a conducting competition before, here a couple of videos from Katowice. Enjoy!