May 27 Update:
Lab ensemble rosters will be emailed to all lab performers this week!
We are in the final stages of setting the lab ensemble rosters for the coming weekend. Thanks to everyone who has volunteered to play! Teddi Sotiropoulos, WCS Coordinator, and Katherine Filatov, WSW Personnel Manager, will be emailing all performers by midweek to confirm who is playing, and confirm instruments if you identified a secondary instrument.
Music will be distributed via hard copies in folders at the symposium. Take a sneak peak at the repertoire that will be rehearsed here.
A reboot for a new decade!
We are excited to gather again for this exciting professional development program. It’s been nine years since we convened in 2015 for our last conducting symposium. Through the efforts of many — including the executive boards of Music Educators of Bergen County and the Westchester Symphonic Winds — we are relaunching this program for 2024.
Who should attend?
This conducting workshop is designed for middle and high school band directors who want to build their conducting and rehearsal technique, explore new repertoire, and connect with other wind band enthusiasts. If you are an instrumental director who has not had a conducting “tune-up” since your undergraduate conducting course, this workshop is for you. If you are a conductor looking to expand your podium experience through a new lens, this workshop is also for you. If you are not quite ready for one of the large university symposia, you should definitely consider this workshop. And if you are currently an undergraduate music major, we are offering a special rate to attend as an auditor.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The 12 Conductor slots were claimed in the first 24 hours. Further conductor registrations will be held as Auditors-pending-Conductor status. We added 2 additional slots on March 2, and they were claimed quickly. We have plenty of openings for Auditors! Please consider joining us in that registration tier, or register as a Performer.
Who are the clinicians?
Curt Ebersole moves from coordinating the project to serving as host clinician. Dr. Robert Ambrose, from Georgia State University, joins us as guest clinician. Teddi Sotiropoulos, from Montclair State University, will serve as coordinator.
What does the weekend include?
We’ll begin on Friday evening, May 31 with an optional tour of the Percy Grainger House in White Plains, followed by dinner on nearby Mamaroneck Avenue. Then the symposium events proper begin on Saturday morning and continue through Sunday afternoon at Northern Valley-Old Tappan High School. We have 12 spots available for conductors, unlimited spots available for auditors, and there are ample opportunities for performers to play in the three wind ensemble lab sessions.
How do I register?
Click the menus above to review the full schedule, registration tiers and fees, repertoire, and more.