International Choral Insights - Dr Karen Grylls

A Practitioner’s View: How do you teach conducting? Why teach conducting?

Dr Karen Grylls is one of the central figures behind choral music in New Zealand – she is a teacher, mentor and a source of inspiration for a generation of New Zealand conductors and singers who now work worldwide. An expert of choral conducting known around the world as both a practitioner and a pedagogue, we will delve into her experiences and the ideas that have shaped how she does what she does as a teacher of conducting.

“When I started out on the journey to train as a conductor myself, there were certainly rehearsals to attend, music to be inspired by and conductors to observe.

However there was no formal training in New Zealand at that time, several decades ago. Today there are postgraduate programmes and opportunities for national workshops, training and engagement with international conductors. I look forward to sharing the ideas and experiences I have gained along the way.”