A Young Conductor's Guide to the Professional World

The study of conducting is a life-long pursuit of developing skills such as bodily awareness, gestural language, left-hand independence, and musical realization. Coming into one’s own personal conducting style, while also demonstrating clear and concise gestural communication, is the most crucial step of maturation in a conductor’s growth. Combined with a deep understanding of music theory and history, conducting orchestral repertoire well is a feat fueled by study, preparation, analysis, performance, and reflection. This overview briefly details the incredibly unique circumstances that have allowed me to grow exponentially as a conductor over the course of just under three years. My performance studies culminated in a concert of masterworks on November 3, 2024; my conducting study resulted in my admission to Arizona State University’s Master of Music in Performance (Orchestral Conducting) program. This account may serve as a how-to guide of sorts for future conductors so that they too may find a foothold in the seemingly impossible.