2019 Q2 Review

It is now officially summer, and I have just returned from participating in the first ever Los Angeles Conducting Institute at CalTech. There, I was able to learn from such master conductors as H. Robert Reynolds and Dr. Glenn Price, as well as composers Adam Schoenberg and Frank Ticheli. My fellow participants were talented conductors from around the world, and it was rejuvenating to spend a week in their company.

Pratik with H. Robert Reynolds at the 2019 Los Angeles Conducting Institute

Prior to my experience in Los Angeles, over the last few months I had the pleasure of listening to and adjudicating many groups at various festivals, including the TCDSB Music Festival, MusicFest Canada, and the Trills & Thrills Festival.  It's always invigorating to see what music educators are doing with their programs and their students, and to have the opportunity to share with them some of my approaches to music making.

Our April and June concerts with the Rouge River Winds were both well attended and well received. Working with soloists Brian McAuley and Kishan Chouhan was a real treat, and the band delivered high quality performances of such challenging works as Suite Dreams (Bryant), Terpsichorean Dances (Blackshaw), Children’s March (Grainger), and Encircled (Dagenais). The details for the 2019-2020 season have also been announced.

Finally, after all the candidates had a chance to conduct the band, the Wellington Wind Symphony ended up choosing Andrew Chung to be their new music director. Congratulations, Andrew! For my part I have some more exciting news to share, but once again it will have to wait until details are finalized.