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Summer programs at the College of Music will soon be in full swing as dozens of flutists focus on mind, body and artistry at the Panoramic Flutist seminar and aspiring singers and composers work side by side with the leaders of opera at. But starting June 5, one of the college’s most long-standing summer traditions returns to Boulder at the .

For more than 30 years, the college has welcomed conductors of all levels to a summer conducting workshop. The opportunity to hone their skills and perfect their craft alongside colleagues from around the country is just one of the benefits of the program.

As Director of Bands Donald McKinney explains, the hands-on model of the workshop has something for everyone. “We provide experiences with small chamber groups and the full band. And for the past two years, we’ve collaborated with the orchestra department to offer string conducting opportunities as well.”

“The only way to learn is to conduct live musicians,” adds Gary Lewis, Director of Orchestras. “And we’ll have string musicians here, as well as a pianist to play the wind parts during some sessions.”

Over the course of five days, participants will cover several important subjects, including score study, rehearsal strategies and conducting philosophy.

They’ll also lead large and small groups in a variety of repertoire in front of their peers, getting feedback on technique and the finer points of conducting.

“It gives them the opportunity to try the things we’re talking about as we’re bringing them up. People grow throughout the week,” says Lewis.

While the symposium is open to conductors of all levels—indeed, those with 10 years’ experience will attend the same sessions as those who may have just earned their degrees—the symposium is geared toward high school and university-level conductors.

“Music educators are our main target because there’s not a lot out there for them,” Lewis says. “They’re looking for ways to not only perfect their conducting but also help their groups play better.”

“For many people it’s about rejuvenating their conducting training or extending something they experienced before,” McKinney adds.

In order to offer a breadth of knowledge and feedback, the symposium welcomes guest clinicians each year. For 2016, the University of Michigan’s Michael Haithcock will sit in on the band side and Donald Schleicher from the University of Illinois will attend the orchestra sessions.

It’s a special collaboration for both McKinney and Lewis: Schleicher and Lewis were colleagues and McKinney was a student under Haithcock, both in Ann Arbor.

“As a doctoral student, you develop a supportive relationship with your major professor, and that support never ends,” McKinney says. “Bringing Michael here and providing that same experience to our participants will make this symposium a unique experience.

“Michael Haithcock changed my approach to conducting and I look forward to sharing our similar philosophies with our guests.”

The symposium serves as an outreach and recruitment tool for the college, but McKinney says it’s also meant to build community among conductors from around the country.

“What’s most inspiring for me is the general camaraderie and supportive nature that we enhance and nurture during the week,” he says. “For many, this is their first time at a workshop like this and they’re nervous. But here they’re free to ask questions and make themselves vulnerable—and that’s the best way to learn.”

Find more information about the Conducting Symposium on the.