We all know that music is not a sport, so why bother going to music
competitions? They are unfair, there is always politics involved, the winners
will be forgotten in a year, and so on and so on. There are countless excuses
not to go, but after taking part to more than ten (!) competitions I figured
out at least ten reasons why you should kick your own butt and send that
tape!
You learn new repertoire. A pianist or a violinist can pick
and choose whatever repertoire he or she fancies and after a week of study
he/she can come out of the practice room and play it. With us conductors it is
a "little bit" different. When you are a student there just is no romantic
orchestra available whenever you want to play some Strauss. Therefore the
motivation to learn new works is often low. When you decide to take part to a
conducting competition you will come out of it with a bunch of scores you can
perform anywhere after that. It is a great way to expand your repertoire.
You get a taste of disciplined study with a deadline. When
you embark on a professional conducting career, you will be all the time faced
with deadlines and you have to manage your time so that you have time to learn
all the works you are going to perform. Conducting is a special kind of
profession, because most of the preparation happens at home. Many times spouses
or kids don't get the fact you need many hours per day silent study time to
manage your deadlines. Preparing for a conducting competition is a good taster
of the "real life" of a conductor. You have a pile of scores, a deadline, and
one month to prepare. What will you do?
You get "free orchestra time". Yes, so many of us study in
schools where the orchestra time is more and more limited each passing year.
Some of us finish our studies without seeing the orchestra before the diploma
concert rehearsals start. A conducting competition is one more chance to step
on that podium and gain experience in conducting a real live orchestra.
You meet colleagues and network. Many of you might not
believe this, but one of the best things that happened to me in conducting
competitions is that I made great friends. It is so refreshing to have 20 or so
smart and cultured polyglot people around you for a week! You will make friends
with people all around the globe and later in your career that will be a huge
plus.
You learn from seeing others conduct (if it is allowed).
Most conducting competitions allow you see others conduct. While I don't
recommend hanging in the hall just prior your own turn, I think it is really
interesting to see how other young conductors work. You will see so many
different ways to use your hands, hear so many ways to describe music in words.
Different use of energy, different temperaments. And of course you will see
where you stand in the group of the young conductors of today.
You learn from the jury decisions (unless you win). No
matter how unfair the jury decisions seem, there is always a reason to the
choices they make. If you stay and see the conductors after you are eliminated,
you should watch them very carefully and think what it is they have and you
don't. Is it the hair cut or the arrogant pose? Or are they more energetic or
communicative? Are they radiating authority? Take a look at the jury as well.
What kind of conductors are the jurors? Sometimes they are just looking for a
younger clone of themselves!
You get to travel to a new country and widen your horizons.
I have to admit: One of the reasons I like competitions so much is that I love
to travel. But I hate being a tourist! To me a trip needs a purpose, always.
For people like artists traveling is like oxygen. You learn so much when you go
to a new place with new kind of people, speaking a foreign language. I always
grab a phrasebook before I go and try to learn a bit of the local language.
You get publicity. How, if I don't win anything,
you might ask. Well, consider this: You don't just walk to a conducting
competition and say you want to conduct. Usually 50-500 people worldwide apply
and only the most promising ones are invited based on their videos and resumes.
The fact you are invited means you belong to the very top of the young
conductors of today! This fact in itself is enough to make the local news.
Write and send that press release today!
Your performance might result in conducting engagements even if you
don't win! Yes, this happened to two of my friends. One of them was
kicked out after the 2nd round but the same night was promised a concert by the
manager of the competition orchestra! Another friend of mine made it to the
semi-finals of a big competition and as a result he got an agent! And no, the
agent was not interested in the winners of that competition at all.
You might actually win a prize! You might be surprised how
many times it happens to the people who didn't expect it. When the Finnish
conductor Okko Kamu took part in the very first Herbert von Karajan Conducting
Competition in 1969, he had to run shopping for new scores every time the next
round competitors were announced. He ended up winning the whole competition! If
you win, you will get good publicity, good money and a couple of concert
engagements. Now go fill that application! See you next time!
Conducting the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra