Being a conductor is a funny business; prestige and presenting an aura of authority and success are very much part of the overall package for success. If you want to start a conversation fire when you’re with a group of orchestra stakeholders, ask them if they think a conductor with an adjunct or tenure track academic position hurts or helps his/her chances for landing a music director gig at a professional symphonic orchestra.
Although that particular scenario has been a hot-button issue for decades, the real irony is even though it (arguably) skews toward the negative here in the US, the opposite is true in most European countries.
I’ve had music director clients with academic positions in Europe and they highlight those positions in their EU oriented bios. At the same time, their bios for US distribution don’t even hint at the connection.
Let’s find out what you think with via reader poll. Here are three traditional areas of artistic activity capable of influencing stakeholder perception when a conductor is actively seeking a position. Take a moment to weigh-in on whether or not you think they help or hurt a conductor’s prospects.
Sorry, but this poll is now closed but the results will be published on 8/29/2016.
5 thoughts on “Poll: Does [BLANK] Hurt Or Help A Conductor’s Career?”
As a US conductor who just made the switch from directing a state university orchestra to directing a professional regional orchestra, the results so far match up perfectly with my own experiences.
I maintain two resumes. One lists my DM, the other doesn’t. Anecdotally, I’ve heard a story of a search committee for an assistant conductor position with a major orchestra in which the Artistic Administrator said he’d thrown out all resumes from candidates who had earned or were in the process of earning doctorates. “If they’ve been in school this long they can’t be any good.”
That’s an intriguing consideration. I’ve never come across a situation where something like an advanced degree entered into the equation but having said that, I’m curious enough to ask around.
As a US conductor who just made the switch from directing a state university orchestra to directing a professional regional orchestra, the results so far match up perfectly with my own experiences.
What about having a DMA? Many conductors applying for professional positions hide or omit that in their C.V.
I maintain two resumes. One lists my DM, the other doesn’t. Anecdotally, I’ve heard a story of a search committee for an assistant conductor position with a major orchestra in which the Artistic Administrator said he’d thrown out all resumes from candidates who had earned or were in the process of earning doctorates. “If they’ve been in school this long they can’t be any good.”
That’s an intriguing consideration. I’ve never come across a situation where something like an advanced degree entered into the equation but having said that, I’m curious enough to ask around.