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Conducting

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From musical intention to physical gesture. From gesture to sound.

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Conducting technique is not an end in itself. Individual study brings together technique, interpretation, score study and communication, tailored to each conductor’s experience, instrumental background, musical and stylistic understanding, and goals.

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Technique & Gesture

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Drawing on Max Rudolf’s The Grammar of Conducting and the Saito Conducting Method, technical work develops a clear, flexible and economical physical vocabulary. The goal is not simply a clear beat, but an individualized and internalized technique capable of communicating sound, character and musical intention.

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Score & Interpretation

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My approach to score study and interpretation draws on two conducting traditions I have studied through their disciples: Hans Swarowsky’s Viennese school, with its emphasis on structural understanding and Taktgruppen (bar groupings), and Arturo Toscanini’s Italian tradition, grounded in cantabilità, musical line and rhythmic vitality.

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The central question is practical: What do you want to hear—and what does the orchestra need from you to make it happen?

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Study may also address rehearsal strategy and opera conducting, including vocal phrasing and flexibility, accompanying singers, and narrative and dramatic pacing. I serve on the faculty of the Opera Conducting Institute in New York City, an intensive program devoted to the particular skills of conducting opera through direct work with singers, pianists and ensemble.

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[Opera Conducting Institute →]

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Individual sessions · Orchestral repertoire · Opera preparation · Audition preparation for conducting programs & assistant conductor positions

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I hold a Doctor of Music in Orchestral Conducting from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. My professional experience spans symphonic, opera and ballet repertoire in the United States, Europe and Asia.

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Piano

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Technique, understanding and interpretation.

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Individual study for intermediate and advanced pianists, from school-age students to adults returning to the instrument. Lessons combine technical development with musical understanding, tailored to each pianist’s experience, repertoire and goals.

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Technical work develops freedom, control and awareness of sound through touch, articulation, voicing, pedaling and physical coordination. The aim is not simply accuracy, but a technique that serves musical expression.

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My work as a conductor brings a broader perspective to the piano. Repertoire is explored through harmony, structure, phrasing, style and musical context—encouraging students to listen critically, understand how a piece works, and develop increasingly independent interpretive choices.

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Study may be directed toward personal development, examinations, auditions or performance preparation, including ABRSM, Trinity and NYSSMA where appropriate.

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Intermediate & advanced study · Returning pianists · ABRSM, Trinity & NYSSMA · Audition & performance preparation

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I received the Licentiate of Trinity College London (LTCL) in Piano Performance with Distinction and completed my piano studies with Edmund Battersby at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music as part of my Master of Music degree.

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Music Theory​

 

Harmony, analysis and musicianship.

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Individual study in music theory for students seeking a stronger understanding of how music is constructed and heard. Lessons connect harmony, form, analysis and ear training with practical musicianship, and can be tailored toward ABRSM examination or academic preparation.

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Study is available both independently and alongside instrumental study, with particular emphasis on applying theoretical understanding to the music a student performs.

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AP Music Theory · ABRSM & Trinity Theory · Harmony & analysis · Ear training · Conservatory & pre-college preparation

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I completed a doctoral minor in Music Theory at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.

 

Interested in lessons?

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Get in touch to arrange a complimentary 20-minute consultation or a discounted trial lesson and discuss your experience, goals and repertoire.

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[Enquire about lessons]