In the beautiful surroundings of His Majesty’s Theatre, courtesy of West Australian Opera, three of our Women on the Podium Scholars were joined by four PSO instrumentalists to be a part of a special Symphonic Conducting Masterclass taken by the inspirational Jessica Gethin.
It was impossible not to have an immense appreciation for the knowledge, talent and skill that Jess developed as a professional conductor and watching her share her expertise in such a supportive and encouraging manner was both inspiring and heartwarming.
The reviews from our scholars post their experience was just glowing:
"Jessica Gethin, being an amazing and experienced conductor made the workshop a very safe learning environment to be in. Getting up on a podium can be a very daunting experience, and although I may have felt nervous beforehand, once I got up on the podium Jess made it so clear I was going to be ok that the nerves died away. The feedback she gave was so valuable, practical and beyond anything you can get from reading books or watching videos. Jess gave practical feedback, showing that a small change can make a big difference. She’d give little things to think about, give you time to process them, then the next time you got up on the podium work on implementing them.
The brilliance of the PSO musicians in the weekends’ workshop was that they watched so intently and did exactly what we indicated, even if it was musically questionable. What it showed me as a conductor was what my gestures were actually indicating, which in turn allowed me to adjust the gestures, with the guidance of Jess, to achieve the musical outcome I was wanting.
To finish the workshop off it was lovely to look out and see all the donors of this program as part of the audience. Being able to show them how this program is helping to support me into becoming a better conductor was really special." - Claire Nankivell
"The masterclass last week with Jessica Gethin was invaluable. The skills development is immediate and empowering. I’ve already applied everything I’ve learned from Saturday to rehearsals for our Breaksea production, Caretaker coming up in August. Really looking forward to working with Jessica and Alice at the Symposium in October." - Pia Harris
"The workshop with Jessica Gethin and PSO was a life shaping experience. I had all but given up on continuing conducting after becoming a mother. With such an amazing program running in Perth, I am now able to continue developing the skills that I had previously worked so hard to acquire." - Mary-Jo Masmanian
To add to this special moment, PSO donors were able to observe Jessica working with these aspiring conductors as they tackled the formidable repertoire, Debussy’s Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune and Hadyn’s London Symphony 104.
The workshop was followed by a Q&A with PSO’s Creative Director Fiona Campbell, giving an insight into the impact the WOTP program has made to the development of these women as musicians, conductors, and leaders in the arts community.
The next opportunity to watch our scholars in action is with University of Western Australia Choral Society (one of our WOTP program partners) for their event 'Songs in the Silence of the Night' Sunday 11 August at St Mary's Cathedral. This event will also feature Kristin Bowtell conducting, Alessandro Pittorino on Organ and Mezzo Soprano Caitlin Cassidy and one of our WOTP scholars! We are truly lucky to have their support and to have their 2024 concerts featuring our WOTP Scholars.
Perth Symphony acknowledge our incredible 'Women on the Podium' supporters and our Principal Partner for this great cause, Wesfarmers Arts.
CHECK OUT PHOTOS FROM THE INSPIRATIONAL EXPERIENCE BELOW:
