G.P.

A view from the bus window in Dublin where I stayed one night on my way to Manchester

My trip to Manchester was a perfect example of a trip made on a really tight budget. Instead of paying 300 for a Finnair direct flight to Manchester I flew on Ryanair and together with airport transport etc. expenses I ended up paying less than half of that. But on the other hand I "lost" two days and one night's sleep when I had to route myself through Dublin and as you know Ryanair's schedules are not the best ones for making flight connections... On the other hand I saw a little bit of Dublin and met some nice fellow travellers in the hostel!

My driver in (and out of) Manchester, John Singh - a remarkably funny fellow!

My accommodation in Manchester was a story of its own too! I checked the ads in Gumtree and wrote to five people offering a flat share or cheap short-term accommodation. I got three replies, two negatives and one positive, which I took. It was incredible 5 pounds/night, whereas the cheapest hostel in Manchester would have costed 20 pounds/night. There was one downside - the place was not really in Manchester! It was about one hours drive from the center! Nevertheless, even after paying for the ride it ended up cheaper than the hostel, so I was OK with it.

Markku and me in our audition home at RNCM

I arrived to the RNCM early with my Finnish colleague Markku. We were warmly welcomed by Polly, who took care of all the participants during the three days of auditions. The facilities of RNCM were quite impressive, I must say. Markku was most of all impressed by the fact that there was a bar inside the school - something that could never happen in Finland!

Steve and Robert seriously preparing themselves for the first round

We were soon introduced to the jurors and our fellow applicants. From hundred applicants the school had chosen to invite ten young conductors to the tests. All corners of Europe were quite well represented: Spain, Finland, Germany, Lithuania... The best thing was that all the applicants were great guys (and a girl) so we could enjoy each others' company despite the stress of the competition.

At dinner we could also relax a little - here Mirga, Chris and Polly

One good side of the tests was that already on the first round we were able to show our skills in three separate occasions: conducting a wind ensemble, a modern ensemble and in an opera studio setting. I consider it nice and fair that the applicants can in any case conduct a lot since they have made the effort of traveling to Manchester from wherever they might live. The second and third rounds consisted of only one task, but at that stage there were only four and two candidates left respectively.

Pedro, Markku, Steve and Robert - at the background maestros Brönnimann and Rundell with Toby Smith

I was lucky enough to be one of the finalists - but unfortunately in this audition there was no second prize! Anyway I was happy to conduct in altogether five occasions and I was happy that all my preparation was not in vain. And, as I have stressed before, a very good reason to take part in competitions and auditions is the connections you make - not only to the school or orchestra or jury, but to your fellow competitors. Many of us are in the same crucial moment of our careers - finishing the formal studies and trying to make the transition to the world of professionals. For me it is important to keep in touch and hear about the successes of my colleagues, and to support each other when the success keeps waiting for herself!

Our audition Fairy Godmother Polly (see guys, I DID buy the flowers!)

Finally, I just want to thank all my fellow competitors and the wonderful people at the RNCM. Hope to meet you later and in any case, keep in touch!

P.S. Sorry no orchestra or conducting pics this time, just eating and drinking...