Masterclasses with Marin Alsop - NOSPR

From March 3 to March 10, 2023, another edition of workshops for conductors led by Marin Alsop took place at NOSPR.

Active participants (8 individuals) engaged in sessions with the National Symphony Orchestra of Polish Radio in NOSPR's concert hall, as well as chamber sessions with musicians from the NOSPR Academy. During these sessions, they worked on Johannes Brahms' Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Grażyna Bacewicz's "Symphonic Overture," and Agata Zubel's piece "Through the Streets of the Human City." Additionally, they had the opportunity to participate in rehearsals and the NOSPR concert conducted by Marin Alsop on March 10, 2023, as part of the 10th Festival of Premieres.

The conductor workshops with Marin Alsop were organized at NOSPR for the third time and once again received significant interest from young aspiring conductors. The chance to meet this esteemed artist in the international music community, refine their skills, and learn the intricacies of building a conducting career under her guidance is a highly valuable event.

The realization of the 3rd edition of the conductor workshops with Marin Alsop was financially supported by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.

Previous Edition

From May 9 to May 13, 2022, workshops for conductors were held at NOSPR under the guidance of Marin Alsop.

From the applications submitted along with recordings, 8 young conductors were selected to actively participate in the workshops: Juliana Janaszek, Martyna Zych, Martyna Szymczak, Julia Kurzydlak, Jakub Przybycień, Jakub Zwierz, Bartosz Gósk, and Filip Huge. These participants took part in a chamber session on May 9, 2022, in NOSPR's chamber hall, where they conducted Antonín Dvořák's Symphony No. 9 "From the New World" and Brahms' Symphony No. 1 in C minor.

On May 11, 2022, a session with the National Symphony Orchestra of Polish Radio was held in NOSPR's concert hall, during which the young conductors worked on Dvořák's Symphony No. 9.

Both workshop sessions were recorded for educational purposes within NOSPR's ongoing activities.

Furthermore, the participants had the opportunity to attend NOSPR rehearsals conducted by Marin Alsop and a concert on May 12 as part of the Katowice Culture Nature Festival, titled "Journey."

The project was financially supported by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage through a dedicated grant of 159,000 Polish złoty.

The inaugural workshops under Marin Alsop's guidance took place at NOSPR in May 2021. They were open to Polish conductors of ages 18 to 30 who were students or graduates of Polish or foreign music universities. These workshops, a unique educational offering in the Polish music community, received immense interest. Out of 68 applications, 8 participants were selected: Marta Zielińska, Daniel Mieczkowski, Anna Sułkowska-Migoń, Jagoda Wyrwińska, Radosław Dronio, Zofia Kiniorska, Jan Stańczyk, and Agata Zając. Apart from receiving guidance from Marin Alsop during their work with orchestras and chamber ensembles, the young conductors also participated in rehearsals with the National Symphony Orchestra of Polish Radio and a concert as part of the Katowice Culture Nature Festival. Their repertoire included pieces like Richard Wagner's "Tristan and Isolde" (Prelude and Liebestod) and selections from Sergei Prokofiev's Symphonic Suite No. 1 and 2 from "Romeo and Juliet."

A documentary of the workshops was recorded by medici.tv.

The artistic and organizational success of the workshops paved the way for planning the subsequent edition in 2022. The absence of similar educational opportunities for young conductors in Poland, compared to the rich offerings available worldwide, and the high cost of international courses make the NOSPR workshops even more valuable and beneficial.

The project was financially supported by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage through a dedicated grant of 159,000 PLN.