The 2007 National Conducting Institute is generously supported by
Betsy and Robert Feinberg

"The Institute...is that rare program that offers more than its name might promise. At a time when many on the American musical scene are lamenting the relative paucity of rising American music directors and major orchestras, the Institute is geared to help train...Americans assume just such posts."
-JAMES R. OESTREICH, The New York Times


Created and directed by Leonard Slatkin, the National Symphony Orchestra, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, in cooperation with the American Symphony Orchestra League’s Orchestra Leadership Academy, the National Conducting Institute provides a unique opportunity for the development of highly gifted, emerging professional conductors. Designed to assist with the crucial transition from leading academic, community, or part-time ensembles to directing major, full-time, professional orchestras, the three-week program is in its eighth year.

The position of music director with a major American orchestra requires strong leadership abilities and mastery of a range of complex skills that cannot be learned in the classroom or with youth or semi-professional orchestras. The National Conducting Institute offers its participants unprecedented exposure to all aspects of a full-time, professional orchestra, including conducting opportunities and direct interaction with its music director, members, and administrators. Participants attend workshops and receive feedback from musicians, staff, members of the Board of Directors, and consultants from the American Symphony Orchestra League. Participants observe Leonard Slatkin as he rehearses and performs with the NSO, and then engage in discussions with Leonard Slatkin, Elizabeth Schulze (Maryland Symphony Orchestra Music Director), and members of the orchestra about their own work. Five musicians from the orchestra serve as mentors, working closely with the participants throughout the Institute. By the end of the program, participants have gained valuable insights into the varied responsibilities of the American music director, as well as an increased familiarity with the general workings of a major U.S. orchestra. The Institute culminates with a special performance by the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by participants selected as "debut conductors."

"This is not about learning how to keep time or how to read a score. It is about what a major, professional orchestra needs from a conductor and how a conductor must relate to the whole ensemble."
- LEONARD SLATKIN

Conductors who demonstrate unusually high levels of skill, talent, and musicianship and who consider themselves at a professional level, but who have not yet had substantial experience conducting a major, full-time, professional orchestra, are eligible to apply. Preference will be given to applicants who have completed a significant portion of their training or experience in the United States.


Debut conductors perform with the National Symphony Orchestra in the final concert. Tuition and lodging for the three-week program is $1,750. In addition to tuition, debut conductors are expected to cover the cost of travel, scores, some meals, and incidentals. Several meals are included in the scheduled activities, and are covered in the tuition fees.