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Podium Talks are insightful, timely conversations over Zoom featuring conductors and researchers from around the world. These conversations are free to ICG Members and accessible to Non-Members for a fee. The Zoom link will be provided in the registration confirmation email.  

Thursday, October 22, 2026 - 4:00 PM EST

The Holistic Conductor:

Balancing Authoritative Vision and Collaborative Leadership on the Podium

Transform your presence on the podium by mastering the delicate balance between authoritative vision and collaborative leadership. Inspired by Beethoven’s revolutionary artistry and grounded in empirical research, this highly interactive session explores how your physical and expressive mastery directly drives ensemble performance. We will actively analyze current conducting styles and dissect the changing communication and group dynamics required for rehearsals versus live performance. Leaving with a practical, adaptable framework, you will learn to transition fluidly between democratic direction and commanding leadership to inspire peak musical excellence. Ultimately, this session empowers you to break boundaries and unlock your ensemble's full potential.

Register HERE

Podium Talks are free for Members and $15 for Non-Members

Maestra Melinda Hole is an accomplished Australian conductor and music director with an extensive international career spanning Asia, Europe, and Australia. She holds a Master of Arts in Conducting from the prestigious Universitat Mozarteum in Salzburg, a first-class honors double major in Performance and Composition, and a Graduate Diploma in Music Education. She is currently completing a Doctor of Musical Arts at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music on a scholarship. Maestra Hole has guest-conducted numerous professional orchestras worldwide, including the Orchestra Sinfonica Di Milano and the Budapest Symphony Orchestra, performing in elite venues such as the Sydney Opera House and the Vienna Musikverein. A semi-finalist in both the 2019 World Music Competition (Spain) and the 2022 Vienna School of Conducting Competition, she is represented by World Entertainment Company and Castiglione Productions. As a versatile freelance musician, she also specializes in Flute, Clarinet, and Alto Saxophone.

PREVIOUS PODIUM TALK SESSIONS 

Friday, September 11, 2026 - 12:00 PM EST

The Genius of Celibidache

30 years after his death, Celibidache remains legendary for performances elevated far above the routine standard of excellence. But how did he achieve such results? As a former student whose work with Celibidache has been the catalyst for a lifelong pursuit of musical understanding, Markand Thakar hopes to demonstrate specifics of that “how,” in ways that can elevate our own performances. And—in that to err is human—he will offer some evidence of Celibidache's humanity.
    
Markand Thakar and Celibidache in 1981
Markand Thakar is renowned as one of the major conducting pedagogues of the 21st century. As a teacher, his Conducting Programs International online and in-person courses have engaged hundreds of conductors worldwide; his students hold significant conducting positions across North America and internationally. As a conductor, Maestro Thakar has appeared with the New York Philharmonic, the National Symphony, and some 40 orchestras across North America, as well as in Asia and Europe. Formerly Music Director of the Duluth Superior Symphony, he is currently Music Director Emeritus of the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra. A dedicated mentee of Sergiu Celibidache, Thakar is the author of On the Principles and Practice of Conducting (University of Rochester Press, 2016), Looking for the "Harp” Quartet: An Investigation into Musical Beauty (University of Rochester Press, 2011), and Counterpoint: Fundamentals of Music Making (Yale University Press, 1990), as well as the forthcoming Structural Harmony for Musicians.  For more information about Markand Thakar, please visit conductingprogramsinternational.org

 

Thursday, February 4, 2021 - 1:00 PM EST

Library of Congress Tour

We are off to the library - the Library of Congress!
Join us for an exciting and informative tour of our beautiful
Music Division within the Library of Congress.

Our expert guides for this insider's tour will be Melissa Wertheimer,
Music Reference Specialist, and Caitlin Miller, who has been a
Reference Specialist in the Music Division of the Library of Congress since 2009.

 Free to both ICG Members and Non-Members!  Invite your colleagues
for this amazing journey into the world's largest music collection!

Free to all!

 

 
Tuesday, January 12, 2021 - 1:00 PM EST 

Marin Alsop
Chief Conductor - ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra
Chief Conductor & Curator - Chicago’s Ravinia Festival
Music Director - National Orchestral Institute & Festival
Director Graduate Conducting Program -Peabody Institute at
Johns Hopkins University

Join our conversation with Marin to learn about new projects and her thoughts on how
 we are surviving this time of COVID.  We're so pleased Marin has taken the time to join us so be
sure to register early!

 

 

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2020 - 9:00 AM  EDT

Iván Fischer - Budapest Festival Orchestra

"The B.F.O.’s Midnight Music concerts, aimed at a youthful crowd, are full-on happenings, intended to strip away routine while leaving the music vibrantly intact.  The instigator of this methodical madness is the conductor, composer, opera director, and political gadfly Iván Fischer, who co-founded the B.F.O. in 1983."   - Alex Ross, The New Yorker 

 

Maestro Fischer would like to discuss creative ways we can perform
concerts during this COVID pandemic.

Register Here

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2020  - 11:00 AM  EDT

JoAnn Falletta
Buffalo Philharmonic and Virginia Symphony

"One of the finest conductors of her generation."
The New York Times

"One of the brightest stars of symphonic music in America."
Los Angeles Times 

Rimsky-Korsakov's - Sheherazade
Movements 3 & 4
Analysis and Performance Thoughts

 

 

 

 

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17 - 1:00 PM EDT

Black Conductors Talk

Hosted by:  Terrance McKnight - WQXR - New York
Julius Williams - International Conductors Guild, President
Isaiah Jackson - Berklee College of Music
Michael Morgan - Oakland Symphony and Sacramento Phil
Leslie Dunner - Interlochen Arts Academy
MONDAY, JUNE 22 - 1:00 PM EDT
JoAnn Falletta
 Buffalo Philharmonic and Virginia Symphony
Rimsky-Korsakov's - Sheherezade
Analysis and Performance Thoughts
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 - 1:00 PM EDT
Giancarlo Guerrero
Nashville Symphony Orchestra and Wroclaw Philharmonic
Open discussion on current events.
All ICG members receive this as a benefit of membership!
CLICK HERE to register !

Not currently a Member of the ICG?   Join or Renew online today!

Your membership helps sustain the work we do at the International Conductors Guild and allows us to bring you great sessions and PODIUM TALK with some of today's most active and well-known conductors.  This is your chance to ask questions, discuss, and become a part of the this amazing organization!
JOIN US!