The Mr and Mrs Gerald Frank NewChurchill Fellowship to further develop the creative and directive roles as a conductor through international mentoring

This Fellowship was inspired by Jessica’s personal journey as a conductor over the past two decades in Australia. In addition to developing her conducting technique, she recognised the need to learn many other skills as a leader off the podium when she was appointed into the role of Music Director. Furthermore, she has seen the need to cultivate a more sustainable arts economy within our communities in Australia, looking at innovation in programming, cross collaborations, audience development, funding models and embracing community engagement to further foster the culture surrounding our industry.

Jessica travelled to Los Angeles, San Diego, Chicago, New York and Dallas to further enhance her creative and directive skills; in building effective rehearsal technique, develop innovative and creative programs, to seek international conducting mentors within the operatic and orchestral fields, identify the importance of conductor and board collaboration and develop a deeper understanding of the inner workings of the key roles.

She focused on three main areas:

1. Looking at the role of the conductor ‘beyond the podium’ in Music Director positions the US; their interaction, leadership and collaboration within the organisation and broader community.
2. Exploring ways that Australian arts organisations can become more sustainable through investigating the US model of philanthropy versus government funding and corporate sponsorship.
3. Developing her creative skills through international mentoring.

Her report mostly focused on understanding the role and expectations of Music Directors in the US, as Jessica felt this was the area she could most benefit from in her own work in Australia. The role varies substantially within different organisations and across different geographic locations. In the United States, it is assumed the conductor will have the additional leadership skills off the podium to represent the organisation; collaborating on programming, engaging with donors and sponsors, inspiriting the board to be advocates for the cause and working with management staff to shape the organisation and deliver a long-term vision. These expectations are critical in music director searches, although rarely covered in conductor training.