Tchaikovsky - Beethoven Conducting Festival with the Falcón Symphony Orchestra

The Conductors Guild is very pleased to announce a new professional development program for experienced and emerging conductors wishing to enhance their career experience through a Concert appearance with the 80-member Falcón Symphony Orchestra, in the beautiful and safe city of Coro, Venezuela, during the 2018-2019 concert season.

Thanks to the success of our Falcón Symphony Orchestra - El Sistema Conductor Workshops, the Conductors Guild, in collaboration with the Falcón Symphony Orchestra, is offering Guild members the unique opportunity to develop and enhance their performance careers during a week long residency with the Falcón Symphony Orchestra in the beautiful coastal town of Coro, Venezuela.  Five Guild-member conductors will each have the opportunity to prepare pre-selected repertoire for a total of four (4) two-hour rehearsals with the Falcón Symphony Orchestra.  Additionally, each participating conductor will have the opportunity to perform his/her pre-selected repertoire at the modern Teatro Armonia, also in Coro. Each participant will receive a professional video recording of his/her conducting from each rehearsal, as well as an audio and video recording of his/her performance. 

Repertoire and Dates

Repertoire and tentative dates for this featured Conducting Festival are the following:

Concert 1:          

Rehearsals:         Monday November 26 - Thursday November 29, 2018                                                                             

Concert:              Friday November 30, 2019 at Teatro Armonia, Coro                                                                 

Repertoire:       

Beethoven: Overture to “The Creatures of Prometheus”                                                                                                     

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 1 in G Minor “Winter Dreams”

Concert 2:          

Rehearsals:         Monday January 28 - Thursday January 31, 2019                                                                                

Concert:              Friday February 1, 2019 at Teatro Armonia, Coro                                                                 

Repertoire:       

Beethoven: “Leonore” Overture No. 3                                                                                                                                      

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 2 in C Minor “Little Russia”

Concert 3:          

Rehearsals:         Monday March 11 - Thursday March 14,2019                                                                                

Concert:              Friday March 15, 2019 at Teatro Armonia, Coro                                                                                

Repertoire:       

Beethoven: Overture to “Coriolanus”                                                                                                                              

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 in E Minor

Concert 4:          

Rehearsals:         Monday April 22 - Thursday April 25,  2019                                                                                    

Concert:              Friday April 26, 2019 at Teatro Armonia, Coro                                                                                         

Repertoire:       

Beethoven: Overture to “Egmont”                                                                                                                                   

Tchaikovsky: Excerpts from Swan Lake Suite                                                                                                           

Tchaikovsky: “Francesca da Rimini”

Concert 5:          

Rehearsals:         Monday May the 27 - Thursday May 30, 2019                                                                                

Concert:              Friday May 31, 2019 - Teatro Armonia, Coro                                                                                         

Repertoire:       

Beethoven: Overture to “Fidelio”                                                                                                                                     

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 in B Minor “Pathethique”

Application and Fees

Application Fee: $60

Festival Participant Fee: $1,800 (one-week rehearsals and concert)

Please complete all areas of the online application and include a short paragraph indicating your interest in participating in this Festival.  Applications must be submitted to the Guild no later than September 1, 2018.  Please use this link to complete and submit your application.  Applications will be evaluated by an inter-institutional panel comprised of the Conductors Guild, El Sistema USA, and the Falcón Symphony Orchestra.  

Participant fee includes roundtrip ground transportation from Las Piedras International Airport (Venezuela) to Coro, as well as transportation to all rehearsals and the concert.  Hotel accommodation will be provided in single, air-conditioned rooms at the conveniently located and modern Eurobuilding Hotel. Buffet breakfast, as well as lunch and dinner is also included in the participant fee.  All rooms have free wireless Internet Access. It is possible to arrange for spouses/partners to stay at the Hotel for a small additional cost. Spouses/partners will also receive the three meals each day and will have access to all rehearsals, as well as complementary tickets for the concert.

A non-refundable deposit of $500 (US) is required upon the candidate's acceptance to participate and conduct in the Conducting Festival, and must be received by the Guild no later than September 30, 2018.  The remaining balance of $1,300 (US) that completes the Participant fee will be due no later than 30 days in advance of the assigned concert date.  You will also have the option of paying the full Participant fee, $1,800 (US) on the payment form.

All payments for the 2019 Coro - Tchaikovsky- Beethoven Festival should be may HERE. 

Orchestra and Location

The Falcón Symphony Orchestra is comprised of the most advanced teachers located in the vibrant Falcón State in Venezuela’s world famous El Sistema program, and is currently established as the leading regional professional orchestra of Venezuela, presenting no less than 40 Subscription Concerts, plus a variety of Educational Concerts and Community Concerts in innovative venues.

Located at the heart of Falcón State, Coro is a World Heritage site with many existing colonial buildings to explore. Travel from the US is easily accessible via Queen Beatrix International Airport in Aruba, with a short connecting flight that travels daily to Las Piedras International Airport, (Venezuela), which is located 50-minutes away from downtown Coro.

Travel to Venezuela requires a tourist visa. Participants will receive the orientation and support from the Falcón Symphony Orchestra in order to receive their expedited visas at the nearest US Venezuelan Consulate in the US State where they reside.

Music Director Rubén Capriles’ advice and support will also be available upon request during the entirety of the Participant’s residency.

Should you have any question or concern, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected].