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Choral conducting

What skills does a Choral Conducting graduate gain?

The graduate is able to independently rehearse and perform artistically convincing vocal works for various types of choirs – children’s, youth, women’s, men’s and mixed – across all stylistic periods, from Renaissance polyphony to contemporary works. With a thorough knowledge of the stylistic specifics of each era, he forms his own artistic opinion on the interpretation of the choral repertoire.

In addition to conducting skills, the graduate has:

  • advanced rehearsal management skills – effective communication, aural analysis and methodical work with the choir
  • deep knowledge of choral repertoire of all periods and genres, including opera and oratorio
  • practical experience with chamber ensembles and orchestras, gained at faculty and school-wide projects
  • orientation in aesthetics and history of music, enabling informed dramaturgical work
  • language proficiency – excellent knowledge of one foreign language including professional terminology and basic knowledge of another language
  • basic competences in scientific and research work
  • experience of international cooperation thanks to contacts with foreign experts and opportunities for study stays

How is Choir Conducting taught?

Choral conducting is taught at the JAMU as a separate specialisation, not together with orchestral conducting. This approach allows students to concentrate fully on the specifics of choral work: from vocal culture and rehearsal methods to the interpretation of repertoire from different stylistic periods and the leadership of choral ensembles of different ensembles.

Students regularly work with a practice choir and other vocal ensembles and take courses focused on choral issues. As a result, they have the opportunity to cover a significantly wider repertoire range than a shared study of both conducting specialisations would allow. At the same time, they have the opportunity to study a related specialisation – orchestral conducting – for up to two years and thus broaden their professional profile.

Length of study

It is a five-year master’s degree. If graduates of bachelor’s degree programmes from other schools are interested in studying, they can apply for entrance examinations, take differential examinations and, after successfully passing them, proceed directly to the fourth year at JAMU.

What technical facilities does the faculty offer to its students?

The Faculty has a Chamber Opera, which is located in the modernly equipped Orlí Theatre. There are also project studios for individual and group artistic work.

The faculty’s equipment includes a state-of-the-art recording studio that meets current professional standards. The conducting classroom is equipped with modern audio-visual technology, which allows both high-quality recording of teaching and remote connection with teachers and students around the world.

What other opportunities does JAMU offer to students?

The teaching also includes the basics of marketing, law, economics and psychology. JAMU maintains an extensive network of partnerships with universities and arts institutions around the world. Thanks to this, students have the opportunity to make valuable international contacts, develop their skills in a different cultural environment and confront their artistic work with foreign teachers and colleagues. The faculty actively supports exchange stays within the Erasmus+ programme and other international projects, which open doors for students to professional growth on a global level.

What is the emphasis in the teaching?

Teaching emphasizes practical verification of acquired knowledge and skills in real artistic operation. During the academic year, students complete regular rehearsals with a practice choir and an annual concert – each of these formats develops different conducting competencies.

Thanks to close cooperation with the National Theatre Brno, students have the opportunity to actively participate in the preparation of opera and ballet productions and thus gain experience directly in professional theatre operations. In addition, they collaborate on the staging of musical projects of the JAMU Chamber Opera or Studio Devítka, where they are co-responsible for the entire creative process from dramaturgy to performance.

The JAMU Faculty of Music also respects the individuality of each student. Therefore, it offers a wide range of courses of personal specialization – from early music performance to oratorio and cantata, contemporary works to musical theatre – which allow one to profile oneself according to one’s own artistic interests and professional goals.

Applying

  • conductors of chamber, symphony, theatre orchestras or other instrumental groups,
  • music directors recording music for radio, television, CD etc.,
  • artistic directors of musical theatres, orchestras and choirs,
  • music managers (organisation of music festivals, agency work, etc.),
  • media workers (music editorial staff),
  • music dramaturgs of theatres of all types and cultural institutions, art ensembles, art agencies, festivals, etc.
  • teachers at all levels of music education (ZUŠ, conservatory, college) in various subjects (composition, theory of composition, musicology, history of music, etc.).