Mannes is a unique place, one where you will receive intense technical training from a faculty of renowned and revolutionary performers, who will also help you find your place in the landscape of contemporary music found in New York City.
Our conducting faculty includes a preeminent collection of musicians. Study with Mannes Orchestra Director David Hayes, and interact with luminaries like David Fulmer and Alan Pierson, conductors of Mannes American Composers Ensemble. Take Master Classes with outside professionals and explore various non-musical topics, such as the state of the business, public relations and budgeting, and how to survive a conducting career across a range of performing ensembles, including choral conducting and Broadway Musical work.
Draw inspiration from the conducting students who came before you, like Semyon Bychkov, who cut his teeth as conductor of the Mannes Orchestra and is currently the Music Director and Chief Conductor of the Czech Philharmonic. Or Myung-Whun Chung, who serves as a principal guest conductor at the Staatskapelle Dresden and honorary conductor laureate at The Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as JoAnn Falletta, music director at the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.
With New York City as your classroom, you'll find ways to jump-start your career from the moment you set foot on campus. Find practical, hands-on opportunities to conduct different ensembles, both in rehearsal and performance, including the Mannes Orchestra, the Mannes American Composers Ensemble (MACE), Mannes Opera, as well as various chamber ensembles. During your first year as a conducting student, you'll have an apprenticeship with the Buffalo Philharmonic, where you'll spend 4 two-week sessions in Buffalo as cover conductor for the Philharmonic, under the mentorship of Music Director JoAnn Falletta. Gain the skills needed to be a world-class conductor, manage your own business and publicity, and create your own groundbreaking work.
While studying alongside star faculty, learn to engage with the world through music. In our Bachelor of Music program, combine rigorous conservatory training with a range of complementary studies. Mannes's entrepreneurship courses give you the tools to make your own opportunities as an artist. With liberal arts electives at Lang and design electives at Parsons, learn how to make an impact through your art in new ways on a rapidly changing world.
As a graduate student in our Master of Music program, you'll take part in an elite two-year program focused on advancing all aspects of your musical study and performance skills. The broad range of performance opportunities prepares you for any career you can imagine as a professional artist.