Spokane workshop attracts young conductors from around the world

Talented young conductors from around the world gathered last week in Spokane for intensive training in leading musicians.

It’s an opportunity that can be hard to come by early in a conducting career, as young maestros struggle to get experience in front of orchestras. The Spokane Symphony’s Second International Conductor’s Workshop, held in part at the Fox Theater downtown and Whitworth University, allowed the new conductors to lead a professional orchestra.

This year the 14 carefully selected conductors were instructed by Spokane Symphony Music Director James Lowe and Swiss conductor Johannes Schlaefli, a duo that has worked together many times.

The two instructors collaborated on the selection process. Applicants submitted their résumés and a video of them performing.

“Being able to have a conversation with the musicians with their hands is what is important, a conversation without words,” Lowe said.

“If somebody on a video is doing that then I’m very interested, then I start to look deeper to see what other qualities they have; without this connection, that’s not conducting.”

Students hailed from Julliard School in New York and Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, which is “one of the great places to study conducting,” Lowe said. “It was very competitive to get into this, only 14 spots, but many more applicants than we could take.”

Lowe has been music director of the Spokane Symphony since 2019 and is researching ways in which orchestras can meaningfully engage with a wider public. When he became music director, he had a goal to do this workshop with his orchestra in Spokane.

Lowe has conducted for the Vaasa City Orchestra in Finland, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and more.

Lowe and Schlaefli have both found a passion in instructing workshops.

“Our job is to help these conductors grow into themselves,” Lowe said.

This workshop was Schlaefli’s first time teaching in the United States outside of Juilliard. He focuses on deepening each conductor’s study and expanding their ability to communicate from the podium.

As one of the most highly sought -after conducting teachers, Schlaefli is in demand throughout the world, his instruction is enhanced by his understanding of the responsibility a conductor holds.

“To challenge these conductors but maintain their confidence is necessary,” Schlaefli said.

Lowe noted that there are different philosophies about how to be a good conductor.

“One is you learn very strict moves, and there’s quite a dogmatic approach that this is how you do it,” Lowe said. “I think Johannes and I very much feel that a young conductor with talent will have within them the ingredients that they need and our job is to bring them out rather than to impose my way or his way of doing something on another student.”

A typical day in this workshop began with a two-hour discussion in the morning. Vuokko Lahtinen from Finland said Lowe and Schlafli have profoundly influenced her conducting on every level.

“A deep philosophical level, what is music-making as a conductor, but also on a very practical level, with these really small details that make a huge difference, then make life as a conductor much easier,” the 30-year-old Lahtinen said.

“Both instructors have the same spirit but a different approach, so all together pretty wholesome.”

The conductors also received feedback and instruction in two daily sessions and participated in score comprehension, preparation and career advancement seminars, along with observation time of other conductors, which is an efficient way to learn, Lahtinen said.

“We really have been every day, morning, noon and night, working with these young students this week,” Lowe said.

Each student had 130 minutes of conducting time with a large amount of practice in private lessons and group sessions. There was a large variety of repertoire and ensemble arrangements. The conductors participated in sessions with full symphony orchestra, string orchestra, small ensembles, and two pianos.

Lahtinen is early in her conducting career. She worked as a professional violist in various symphonies across Europe for nine years, then went to the master’s program at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki.

Lahtinen spoke fondly of the moment she discovered her passion. At age 12, she was watching a performance of Jean Sibelius’ Symphony No. 6, “this legendary conductor, Jorma Panula, was conducting. I saw him waving his hands and saying so much with them,” Lahtinen said.

“It gave me this really inspired feeling, I cannot even explain why. I can’t take my eyes off that white baton.”

As a conductor, Lahtinen facilitates and helps the ensemble she is leading make music together.

“I was reminded that every gesture comes from the music itself, and the music itself always has its own will and its own presence, its own pulsation,” she said.

Schlaefli and Lowe have highlighted the general ground rule of naturally letting your hands adapt to that will of the music.

“It’s like you go on a mountain tour you have never been before,” Schlaefli said. “You know what you have to take with you, and you have some experience, but every step is a new step and you have to look around.”

Lahtinen said this was her most important revelation.

“It’s mostly about the players and not so much about me,” she said.

Being a conductor requires more than skills with the baton, Lowe said.

“Leadership is not just when you stand in front of the orchestra and wave your hands around, leadership is how you interact with your colleagues, how you interact with the staff, how you interact with donors, how you interact with the community at large, this for me is really important, as a conductor you have to be yourself,” Lowe said. “You have to be somebody who has a desire to connect people, a good conductor understands that leadership is not dictatorship.”

The instructors said one of the goals was to help the students learn how to be good leaders while also being themselves.

“We want to help them grow to be who they are with their body language and their character, but be in a way that the orchestra can really understand,” Schlaefli said. “We have different languages but if it’s not clearly spoken then also a different language is not understood, it has to become clear.”

Added Lowe: “Conducting isn’t just, if I do this gesture, it will mean this sound for every orchestra on the planet, not at all. I give one gesture, I will hear something back, and I will think, that was too soft, or not enough, let’s get a bit more energy, and that’s the dance you have through the entire time you’re working with an orchestra, this initiation, response, re-response.”

The international conductors had an opportunity to have a host family, and have expressed gratitude for this workshop being held within Spokane’s community.

“This general atmosphere has been really touching, it’s so kind and supportive and it made me think in many moments that once the general vibe is so supportive and warm that it enables much development,” Lahtinen said. “It’s not only the teachers but very much the orchestra and the local people that’s been really nice.”

The Spokane Symphony was declared the “friendliest orchestra in the world” by cellist Yo-Yo Ma when he played with the symphony in 2023.

“Some (orchestras) are resistant to working with young conductors, this is the ideal orchestra for these young conductors to grow,” Lowe said. “The musicians are flexible and attentive with each conductor’s interpretations.”

“It’s as valuable as experience can get,” Lahtinen said.

“Getting to learn about different ways of playing together, different kinds of the sound world, it’s extremely enriching.”