OUR MISSION
International Conducting Institute (ICI) was founded in 2010 by Silas Huff and Bahman Saless, who had developed much of their conducting careers through various workshops around the globe. While there are a variety of conducting workshops around the world,
ICI’s mission is to advance the art of conducting by providing conductor workshops with the highest level of instruction, the most podium time, and the most affordable tuition possible in order to help students achieve their career goals.
ICI employs a variety of in-demand, highly-qualified, and proven conducting teachers. Offering conducting masterclasses in every season, ICI can be your single source for gaining high level and diverse conducting knowledge throughout the year – students can learn a variety of techniques from different masters. Our workshops include baton technique, score study, historical interpretations and discussions, rehearsal techniques, career development advice, as well as customized classes in Alexander Technique, Yoga, port de bras, and more.
ICI STUDENTS
ICI students are aspiring professional conductors, academic conductors and music educators seeking professional development, and composers and other professional musicians who want to learn the skills to conduct live ensembles.
Past ICI students have gone on to be accepted at prestigious masters and doctoral programs, to win Assistant Conductor jobs at major orchestras, Music Directorships of Youth and Professional Orchestras, and posts at major universities, and to have successful freelance conducting careers.
HISTORY of ICI
In 1991, Dr. Harry Hurwitz, an amateur musician and conductor, founded Symphonic Workshops and the International Workshop for Conductors (IWC) with Artistic Director Maestro Kirk Trevor in order to offer musicians opportunities to gain experience working with full orchestras. Symphonic Workshops was born in partnership with the Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic Orchestra in Zlin, Czech Republic, and since then, Symphonic Workshops worked with Czech orchestras in Zlin, Kromeriz, Olomouc, Opava, Karlovy Vary, Marianske Lazne, Hradec Kralove, Teplice, and Brno, among others, as well as with orchestras in Slovakia, Romania, Russia, and Bulgaria. IWC proved wildly popular, and for 20 years, Symphonic Workshops provided performance and development opportunities to thousands of musicians from around the world in partnership with professional orchestras and world-renowned faculty. Many participants have become professional conductors at universities, conservatories, and professional orchestras around the world.
The 20th Annual International Workshop for Conductors in 2010 was slated to be the last, but two participants – Maestros Bahman Saless and Silas Huff – wanted to see the workshop continue for many years. They founded the International Conducting Institute (ICI), under which the International Workshop for Conductors will continue to take place in the Czech Republic. In addition to the 2-week summer workshop in the Czech Republic, ICI plans workshops in Boulder (CO), New York City, Austin (TX), Columbia (MO), and other locations.