1st "Eduard Toldrà" Orchestral Conducting Course

Inspired by the figure of Maestro Eduard Toldrà, who was decisive in the cultural reconstruction of our country during a critical situation such as the postwar period, the Cultural Association for the Chamber Philharmonic of Catalonia presents the ”Eduard Toldrà” Orchestral Conducting Course.

Grounded as a nonprofit association, was founded to provide logistical support to projects that the orchestra creates with the following objectives: to bring music to a wide social spectrum, to collaborate with charitable causes and to provide high level educational activities for an affordable price. To get its goals the Association counts with the help of musicians that have solid international experience and income from independent projects.

FUNDING

The course will be funded primarily through the students participation fees and the closing concert tickets (token sum).

The course fee for active students is 1.300€. To ensure that the decisive selection factor is the talent and not the economic recourses, it is essential to generate a scholarships system through external donations.

As we are a non-profit Association you can deduct your donation, please ask you tax consultant.

THE REASONS

The musical education progressed very much in recent years and the level has clearly risen enormously in all specialities. Catalonia is a reference in choir singing and choir conducting but not so much in the orchestra field. The training of orchestral conductors always presents big economic and organizational difficulties, because the instrument lessons can only run with an orchestra. These factors mean that students accuse this lack of practice and regularly attend masterclasses. Getting a professional orchestra with which students can do the lessons is extremely difficult, also to find an excellent teacher who matches it up. Aware of the demand, these kind of courses abound but are often based on student orchestras, give no guarantee of the total practice time, require that the applicant travels to decide whether he/she will be active or not, and the great majority of them ask for exorbitant fees.

It is extremely usual that the high costs of such courses are covered only with the payments of active students but as very few places are offered to ensure the quality of learning, the fee turns out to be very high, so the conducting studies remain reduced to a scope of applicants with large financial resources. This is precisely what we want to avoid, that is why we established ourselves as a nonprofit association and therefore the only aim of the sponsorship request is to reduce the registration fee (not to forget, they are students) so that the only factor which could define their active participation should be their musical talent.

THE PROJECT

The present orchestral conducting course is designed by an interdisciplinary team of professional musicians with international formation and experience without links with international agencies or political contacts. The bunch of their points of view has resulted in a unique high-level and transparent offer where individual and collective lessons with a high reliable and worldwide experienced teacher are equally guaranteed on the podium of an orchestra formed by professional soloists and members of the best orchestras in Catalonia, such as the Catalan National Symphony of Barcelona (OBC) or the Symphony of Vallès (OSV). The course is addressed to conductors and advanced conducting students of any nationality. Since the course is practical, a maximum of 12 active students will be selected to ensure an optimal learning. The selection of students will follow through an evaluation of the curriculum and the video sent in the registration process.

Alongside we offer the chance to attend as a listener student to those who are not selected as active and to anyone interested and qualified who wants to follow the course from the audience and participate in the group exercises in the mornings. There is also the possibility of attending the course as a mere observer.

SUPPORTS

We don’t introduce ourselves empty-handed: important institutions and personalities support this project, unfortunately not in the economic side.

• The Department of Culture of the City of Terrassa has opened the doors of the city and its cultural resources.
• The Terrassa Municipal Auditorium cede us its concert hall and the Terrassa Conservatory-Music School the necessary classrooms, pianos and timpani.
• The Eduard Toldrà’s Friends Association trust us to honor the memory of Maestro Toldrà (founder and former conductor of the current OBC) on the fiftieth anniversary of his death.
• The collaboration of Maestro Donato Renzetti is a luxury and a guarantee of quality to this course. Under normal circumstances the cachet of such a prestigious conductor would be unaffordable, but his great teaching vocation and the personal relationship that binds him with the team makes him intensively willing to compromise for a symbolic price.
• The Chamber Philharmonic of Catalonia offers its high quality and its critical view at a clearly vocational price.

THE TEAM

Donato Renzetti, visiting Professor: Donato Renzetti is one of the most successful Italian conductors in the world. At the beginning of his career he won numerous awards at major international competitions. In his calendar he has alternated productions of opera and symphonic recordings. He has conducted many major orchestras of the international music scene and has been invited by opera houses and festivals worldwide. He recorded for Philips, Frequenz, Fonit Cetra, Nuova Era and Dynamic, highlighting the album Schumann’s "Manfred" recorded with the Orchestra and Chorus of Teatro alla Scala, which won the "XIX Premio della Critica Discografica Italiana". Since 1987 teaches orchestral conducting at the Corso Triennale di Alto Perfezionamento all'Accademia Musicale Pescarese, discovering new generations of talented musicians. His career has been recognized by numerous awards and institutions.

Diego Martin Etxebarria, course general manager: conductor formed in Euskadi, Catalonia and Germany, current conductor of the Akademisches Orchester Freiburg and invited conductor to many symphony orchestras throughout Spain.

Jorge Uribe, orchestra artistic director: oboist professional trained in Mexico, Germany and Catalonia, he has been soloist with the Chamber Orchestra of Bellas Artes (Mexico City), he has played with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, The State Philharmonic of Mexico and has been invited by numerous orchestras throughout Catalonia.

Raúl García, violin and string technique: the internationally awarded professional violinist, made in Spain, USA and UK, assistant concertmaster of the OBC.

Anna Alàs i Jové, advisor: mezzo-soprano formed in Catalonia, Austria and Germany, awarded internationally and invited soloist at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, the Staatsoper Berlin, among others.

Sílvia Bartés Stadler, public relations: her languages knowledge and her experience as a manager and booking agent for both music and theater companies make her a great signing.

The Chamber Philharmonic of Catalonia consists of outstanding musicians and soloists living in Catalonia, Spain. Initially established in December 2008 under the name "Ensemble Edra" for a benefit concert promoted by its current artistic director and oboist Jorge Uribe. Due to the excellent performance and music results, decided to establish itself as a permanent group which has been consolidated through its ongoing activities. The Chamber Philharmonic of Catalonia interpretations highlight by its intense musical complicity and its constant search for a sound to which the most important musical groups aspire. Another of his concerns is to follow the ancient practice of baroque and classicism, in which the soloists of the orchestra are directly responsible for the musical conducting of their presentations. However and depending on the repertoire they punctually invite guest conductors, making a clear commitment to young talent and rising careers.

WHEN, WHERE AND HOW

The course will take place **from the 1st to the 7th of July, 2012 at the Auditori

Municipal de Terrassa (Barcelona) and includes 90 minutes of individual podium time with the orchestra, individual lessons with the concertmaster about the technique ofthe string instruments, aproximately 33 hours of group lessons with piano practising conducting technique and a closing concert*. Mornings from Monday to Friday(11:00 – 14:00) will take place the theoretical and practical lessons with piano at the Conservatory of Terrassa-School of music. Besides the sessions with Maestro Donato Renzetti, on Wednesday and Thursday (20:00 to 22:00) there will be a meeting with the concertmaster of the orchestra to discuss techniques of the strings applied to conducting. Afternoons are planned to work with the orchestra at the Municipal Auditorium. The course will also include a free informative activity related to the figure of Eduard Toldrà with live performances of his works. The general rehearsal will be held at saturday morning (10:30 - 13:30) and in the evening (20:00) we will close the course with a concert conducted by the students followed by an **exclusive cocktail* for the benefactors. Both rehearsals and the concert will be recorded and each student will receive a DVD with his/her work.

The Association has made an agreement with the university residence to offer **high

quality accommodation** at just 5 minutes from the Auditorium (included in the

participation fee).

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