– A mentoring program is refined because it helps students to advance, says master conductor and mentor Sascha Goetzel

By Johanna Holt Kleive

The Viennese conductor Sascha Goetzel has crafted a global reputation as a music director and guest conductor known for his commitment to explore sound and repertoire through dynamic programs and projects. In recent weeks he has worked with conductor colleague Eivind Gullberg Jensen to develop a number of initiatives that will bring together musicians across national borders. The purpose is to find new contact areas to exchange ideas. According to the conductor, art is first and foremost a social matter that connects people.

– As truthful artists I believe that we are obliged to not to give up. Always make the most of the time you have, two days wasted a week is over a hundred days wasted in a year. Now that I am getting a little bit older, I feel that I don't want to waste a single minute on vanity, on narcissism, on egoism. I want to share, I want to reflect, and I want people to be connected to life, about what music is really about. Remember, as musicians, we have the music, the beauty is inside of us. A lot of people don't have this special gift, so I feel we have the responsibility to use this gift. We are not physical doctors and can not heal the body, but we can heal souls. Take this responsibility, and DO something, not just wait, Goetzel writes in the article Motivation Boosters.

Goetzel and Gullberg-Jensen have made special mention of their seminar series for young conducting students at Classical Quarantine. The seminar series became an international success from the first moment, and is held weekly until June 2020.

- The Swedish godfather Herbert Blomstedt once said that you should never conduct a piece for the first time. As a conductor, you need to prepare mentally so well, that when you stand in front of an orchestra for the first time, it doesn't feel like the first time. It is very difficult to narrow the gap in today's situation, but that is what these sessions are about, he says.

Just as a musician needs to practice his instrument to develop, a conductor needs "to practice" his instrument – the orchestra. Therefore, the best way to help young conducting students is to give them hands-on experience of what it is like to stand in front of an orchestra, Goetzel explains.

- Theory is not enough. If you are unable to play your instrument well, you will never become a good conductor. In the seminar series we explain what the students should know and what they need to be aware of. This is an approach to directing, from a practical point of view. And I can never say it enough: Be prepared! You can never be too well prepared before giving the first upbeat, he says.

Can you describe a typical seminar?

– Eivind and I talk through a composition from a practical point of view: If you will conduct like this, it will sound like this in 90% of cases. Is it possible to play softer? What can you read directly out of the score, and how do you gesticulate to achieve this or that particular sound? How do you address your ideas to the orchestra so they have a clear idea of ​​your visions of the music? How do you achieve a romantic or baroque style/phrasing, what choices can you make? In addition, we go through technical transitions with the students with opportunity to ask questions. I think it is a clear advantage that students get to listen to two instructors with different experiences. Then the students find that there are many ways to do it. Each one must find their own approach.

You are also a mentor in Talent Norway's top launch program Dirigentløftet. What is the biggest benefit of a mentoring program in your opinion?

– Mentoring means that you guide students over a longer period. A mentoring program is far more attractive than pure master classes, especially in these times. The mentoring program in Talent Norway is designed especially for young, talented conductors who, in close follow-up and conversations with professionals, are made aware of the conductor’s profession and how they can inspire and bring to life the dairies with their orchestra. A mentoring program is refined because it helps students to advance. Thus, they also become more proficient.