ICWF 2007: French
From June 15-25, 2007 the International Conducting Workshop and Festival is proud to hold a workshop in Zlin, Czech Republic hosted by the Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic, led by Larry Rachleff (Rice University), and assisted by Benjamin Loeb (El Paso Symphony) and Bohuslav Rattay (Ball State University and Muncie Symphony). 
As in the past we will offer conducting training and critique in a non-competitive, professional and supportive atmosphere and a great opportunity to immerse oneself deeply in important standard orchestral repertoire which will include Berlioz Symphonie fantastique and Roman Carnival Overture; Chausson Poeme for Violin and Orchestra; Saint-Sa?ns Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso; Ravel La valse, Daphnis and Chloe Suite #2, and Rapsodie espagnole; Debussy Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun and La mer.
The schedule includes 10 Orchestra sessions, 6 Sextet sessions, 4 Score study sessions, 2 Orchestra concerts, and 2 Chamber Music Concerts led by the faculty with international guest soloists. In the Orchestra sessions, participants will have approximately 10 minutes on the podium. In the Sextet sessions, participants will conduct a string quintet plus piano, which covers woodwinds and brass parts. Parts of some quintet sessions may be devoted to difficult excerpts that are pre-selected from the workshop repertoire. All participants will be encouraged to study this list of excerpts in preparation for the workshop. In the remainder of the sextet sessions, passages are to be selected by the participant. Each conductor will have individual choice of repertoire during sextet and score study sessions. In all sessions, podium time slots will be flexibly pre-assigned.
Levels of Participation
For this workshop we are offering three levels of participation which we believe will provide the best learning experience: 8-session, 6-session and 2-session. Sextet sessions will be equally divided regardless of participation level. The 8-session level is only recommended for conductors who have already conducted a significant portion of the repertoire.
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.
All tuition fees include hotel and two meals each day. There is also included a trip to the famous Czech spa of Luhakovice.
All sessions will be Digitally Recorded and ample opportunity will be provided to view session recordings.
Concerts
Concurrent with the workshop, the International Conducting Workshop Festival will present two Orchestra concerts and 2 Chamber Music Concerts led by faculty and guest artists. Participants will not perform on these concerts. The repertoire on these concerts will be devoted to music of the two composers and their contemporaries. All rehearsals and concerts are open to the participants.
Filharmonie Bohuslav Martinu
The Bohuslav Martin? Philharmonic Orchestrais named after one of the great Czech composers. The orchestra has made many radio recordings and CDs of his works since it was founded in the 1960's.
The repertoire of the The Bohuslav Martin? Philharmonic Orchestra consists of nearly all symphonic works of different periods including a considerable number of contemporary compositions. The members of the orchestra have formed several chamber groups whose performances supplement the concert season. Cooperation with radio and television stations together with recording activities have become a regular part of the orchestra's work. Some activities in recent years included recordings for the label Vienna Modern Masters, which concentrates on contemporary music recordings; Sergei Rachmaninov's complete symphonic works recorded for Bayer Records (Germany); and music of Anton?n Dvo??k for Albany Records (USA). Orchestra has recorded also movie music for Hollywood and new works of the contemporary american composers.
The home of the The Bohuslav Martin? Philharmonic Orchestra is Zl?n, a town in the east of the Czech Republic. With a population approaching one hundred thousand, it is a modern industrial center, owing its development to the BATA company, the founder of which Tom?? Ba?a succeeded in successfully combining his entrepreneurship and his philosophy of life.
Accommodations
All participants will stay in single rooms at a hotel located within easy walking distance to the rehearsal and performance facilities. Breakfast and one additional meal is included in the tuition fee.