New Jersey Intergenerational Orchestra to Hold 2-Session Conducting Webinar
WHEN: Wednesdays, October 21 & 28, 7:30pm-8:30pmWHERE:
TICKETS: free
Advance registration is required for this free webinar series. To register, visit www.njio.org and simply click on the Cult of Conducting poster under “Current Event.”
The New Jersey Intergenerational
Orchestra (NJIO) is proud to present a two-session series titled “The Cult of
Conducting.” Artistic Director Warren
Cohen is excited to share his insights with a fascinating overview of
orchestral conducting over the past three centuries. He will answer such
questions as:
• Why
do orchestras need conductors?
• How
has conducting changed over the years?
• What
should I look for when I go to a symphony concert?
• How
do different musical cultures approach orchestral conducting?
This webinar will be of interest to
orchestral audiences and orchestral musicians alike.
Session One (Wednesday, October 21) – The Evolution of Conducting.
This session will have a
multicultural perspective over the last 300 years and try to answer the
question of why orchestras need conductors?
Conducting is a lot more than having everyone follow the music as the
conductor beats it. As music has changed
over the years, the role of the conductor has changed significantly. We will explore the history of orchestra
leadership as it has evolved in this time, specifically in the Western
tradition.
Session Two (Wednesday, October 28) – Unraveling the Mystery of the
Conductor
This session will offer insight into
the conductor’s world and will also help audience members better understand
what is going on at the podium. Does all
of that movement really mean something or not? We will explore the relationship
between gestures and sound. We will make
use of famous conductor clips throughout to illustrate the point. This session will make going to the symphony
even more enjoyable!
Warren Cohen, Artistic
Director
Warren Cohen joined the New Jersey
Intergenerational Orchestra as Artistic Director in 2013. He is also Music
Director of the MusicaNova Orchestra in Phoenix, Arizona. In 2012, he became
Concert
Artist in Conducting at Kean
University. He served as Music Director of the Scottsdale Baroque Orchestra,
the Fine Arts String Orchestra, and the Southern Arizona Orchestra, where he
was appointed Music Director Laureate upon his resignation.
Mr. Cohen began his musical career as
a pianist and composer. He has conducted over a thousand orchestral, operatic
and choral works. He studied conducting with Gustav Meier and
Paul Vermel and at the English
National Opera during the last year of the administration of the “power trio”
years when the company was led by Sir Mark Elder, David Pountney, and Sir Peter
Jonas.
He now lives in South Orange, New
Jersey with his wife, soprano Carolyn Whitaker, and his son Graham, an
award-winning composer and violist who studies at The Juilliard School.
About NJIO
NJIO, now in its 26th season, has
been recognized as a national leader in intergenerational excellence through
its unique approach to teaching musical performance. Not only do the members aged 8 to 80 play
together, but they also mentor one another. In addition to providing free
concerts and outreach to the community, NJIO has been invited to perform at the
Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. and at the United
Nations, and was a finalist for the Eisner Prize for Intergenerational Excellence. NJIO welcomes new members of all ages and
abilities each concert period to one of its several orchestras - no auditions
needed!
This program is made possible by
funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the
National Endowment for the Arts.