Teacher: M° György G. Ráth
Orchestra: La Filharmonie Orchestra Filarmonica di Firenze – Professors the Orchestra of Maggio Musicale Fiorentino –
Period: 23rd – 30th August 2025
Programme of the Course
The masterclass is directed to conductors who want to increase their musical experience and work as professionals in the world of classical music.
The course is articulated in n°8 (eight) days of lessons. The lessons will be recorded and at the end of the day, the students will discuss with the teacher about their performance with the help of the recording.
The recording will be given to the students in digital format at the end of the course.
The students will have daily podium time; the total podium time will be about 120 minutes for each student. All the students will be invited to conduct at least one piece at the final concert, a concert suit/dress is required.
The organization and the teacher, by common consent, will recommend the best students to the following institutions: Orchestra Sinfonica di Sanremo (Italy); Symphony Orchestra MAV (Hungary); Budapest Strings Chamber Orchestra (Hungary); Witold Lutoslawsky Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra (Poland); La Filharmonie Orchestra Filarmonica di Firenze (Italy); Pleven Philharmonic Orchestra (Bulgaria).
Representatives of international artist agencies will be invited to attend the final concerts.
PROGRAMME
PRELIMINARY MEETING WITH THE TEACHER
Date to be defined
Before the start of the course, a videoconference meeting will be organized so that the teacher can get to know the students and discuss with them the repertoire to be studied during the masterclass.
PIANO SESSION – VENUE: SALA TEATINA, INTERNATIONAL CENTER GIORGIO LA PIRA, VIA DE’ PESCIONI 3, FLORENCE
Saturday August 23rd
10:00 – 13:00 (10 a.m. – 1 p.m.) – Registration of the students and meeting with the teacher
14:00 – 19:30 (2 p.m. – 7.30 p.m.) – Lesson with piano
Sunday August 24th and Monday 25th
10:00 – 13:00 (10 a.m. – 2 p.m.) – Lesson with piano
14:00 – 19:00 (2 p.m. – 7.00 p.m.) – Lesson with piano
ORCHESTRA SESSION – VENUE: TEATRINO LORENESE, FORTEZZA DA BASSO, FLORENCE
Tuesday August 26th, Wednesday 27th, Thursday 28th
10:00 – 13:00 ( 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.) and 14:00 – 17:00 (2 p.m. – 5 p.m.) – Lesson with symphony orchestra.
17:30 – 19:00 (5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.) – Theory lesson and analysis of the videos
Friday 29th and Saturday August 30tht
10:00 – 13:00 ( 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.) – Lesson with symphony orchestra
Timetable to be defined: final concerts.
All the students will to conduct at least one piece at the final concerts, a concert suit/dress is required. The choice of the pieces to be performed during the lessons is up to the students; the program of the final concerts will be decided during the week of the course.
RECORDINGS
All the sessions with the orchestra will be recorded with a front camera. The recording will be used for the video sessions and will be given to the student at the end of the masterclass.
REPERTOIRE OF THE MASTERCLASS
The repertoire is organized in groups, the students can choose a limited number of pieces for each group.
GROUP A – max three (3) pieces
Ludwig van Beethoven – Coriolano Ouverture
Ludwig van Beethoven – Egmont Ouverture
Ludwig van Beethoven – Symphony n.1
Ludwig van Beethoven – Symphony n.3 “Eroica”
Ludwig van Beethoven – Symphony n.5
Ludwig van Beethoven – Symphony n.7
Felix Mendelssohn – Symphony n.3 “Scottish”
Felix Mendelssohn – Symphony n.4 “Italian”
Felix Mendelssohn – The Hebrides
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Così fan tutte Ouverture
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Don Giovanni Ouverture
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Le nozze di Figaro Ouverture
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Symphony n.39
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Symphony n.40
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Symphony n.41
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Zauberflöte Overture
Franz Schubert – Symphony n.5
Franz Schubert – Symphony n.8 “Unfinished”
GROUP B – max three (3) pieces
Ruggero Leoncavallo – Intermezzo from “I Pagliacci”
Pietro Mascagni – Intermezzo from “Cavalleria Rusticana”
Giacomo Puccini – Intermezzo from “Manon Lescaut”
Gioachino Rossini – Sinfonia from “L’italiana in Algeri”
Gioachino Rossini – Sinfonia from “La cenerentola”
Gioachino Rossini – Sinfonia from “La gazza ladra”
Johann Strauss Jr. – Die Fledermaus Ouverture
Giuseppe Verdi – Sinfonia da “La forza del destino”
Giuseppe Verdi – Sinfonia da “Nabucco”
Carl Maria von Weber – Der Freischütz Ouverture
GROUP C – max two (2) pieces
Béla Bartók – Intermezzo Interrotto from Concerto for Orchestra
Béla Bartók – Romanian folk dances
Claude Debussy – Prélude à l’après midi d’un faune
Johannes Brahms – Tragic Ouverture
Johannes Brahms – Symphony n.3 in F major
Johannes Brahms – Variations on a Theme by Joseph Haydn
Antonín Dvorak – Symphony n.8
Antonín Dvorak – Symphony n.9
Pëtr Il’ič Tchaikovsky – Romeo and Juliet Overture
Pëtr Il’ič Tchaikovsky – Symphony n.4
Pëtr Il’ič Tchaikovsky – Symphony n.5
Pëtr Il’ič Tchaikovsky – Symphony n.6 “Patetique”
Robert Schumann – Symphony n. 3 in Eb “Rhenish”
Robert Schumann – Symphony n. 4 in D minor
GROUP D – only with the piano (not mandatory)
Béla Bartók, Concerto for orchestra
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Die Zauberflöte: Sprechszene – Die Weisheitslehre dieser Knaben (Tamino)
Modest Mussorgsky/Maurice Ravel, Pictures at an exhibition
Richard Strauss, Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche Op. 28
COURSE FEE AND REQUIREMENTS
Couse fee, active students: € 2.270,00
Application fee: € 250,00
Total amount of fees: € 2.520,00
The application fee has to be paid at the moment of the application; the course fee has to be paid in two tranches, the first at the closing of the applications and the second before the beginning of the masterclass.
Age limit: the masterclass is open to conductors born after 1978 (45 years old). If you are older than 45 and would like to participate, please write us an email and we will be glad to evaluate your situation.
The applications will be processed in order of arrival, there is no admission examination, even if we expect a basic knowledge of conducting technique and recommend some experience in conducting professional orchestras. In order to evaluate properly if Florence Conducting Masterclass is a good choice for the student’s particular situation, we encourage them to send an email or call the organizer before applying.
PASSIVE STUDENTS
The participation fee for passive students is unique and permits to assist to the whole day lessons;
Course fee, auditors: € 500,00
MEALS AND ACCOMMODATION
Meals and accommodation are up to the participants. The organization will offer assistance in finding proper accommodation in Florence for the period of the masterclass. We have a special agreement with Centro Studi Giorgio La Pira that can offer nice single rooms at €40 per night. The availability is limited so these rooms will be offered to the first who will make a reservation.
FINAL PROVISIONS
The courses will be activated with a minimum number of students.
The application and participation fees will not be returned in any case, except the cancellation of the courses; in that case, the students will be promptly advised. The participation at the courses implies the full acceptance of the present rules. Artes Association will give prompt notification of any modification of the rules that may occur. For any legal action, the Italian text of the announcement must be considered. The competent forum is Prato’s.