Opera North has announced a 10-week training program for women conductors.

There will be two dedicated workshops led by Opera North Music Director Garry Walker which will include the opportunity to conduct the Company’s orchestra. Additionally, participants will receive one-on-one discussions and lessons with such figures as Principal Guest Conductor Antony Hermus; Sian Edwards, Head of Conducting at the Royal Academy of Music and a regular on the Opera North podium; Opera North’s Head of Music David Cowan; Chorus Master Oliver Rundell; and Martin Pickard and Annette Saunders of the Company’s Music Staff.

Trainees will also get access to preparations for the company’s upcoming productions and hands-on work with the company’s Education and outreach departments. Finally, the “successful applicant” will get to take on the role of Assistant Conductor for the Youth Opera Project performances of “Brundibár” in January 2022.

“We think that the Female Conductor Traineeship is unique in terms of the breadth of experience that a successful applicant stands to gain, from Opera North’s mainstage opera and orchestral program to our work in education and the community,” said Walker in a press release. “By offering invaluable one-on-one mentorship from seasoned music staff and guest artists, as well as the support of the wider Opera North family, we hope to encourage more female artists to see opera and orchestral music as a viable career path, and to ensure that our Company and the industry at large is drawing on the widest range of professional conducting talent, now and in the future.”