The International Conductors Guild (ICG), a nearly 50-year-old organization for conductors hosted its second international conductor conference, January 10-13, 2023, in Valencia, Spain, in collaboration with La Asociación Española de Directores de Orquesta (AESDO), and with the support of Berklee College of Music Valencia.
More than one hundred conductors from around the world attended the three-day event which included scholarly presentations, conductor workshops, panel discussions, round-table and discussions.
The conference included the dress rehearsal and concert of the Orquesta de Valencia with Artistic Director and Conductor, Alexander Liebreich, and a Conductor Retrospective. This year’s Retrospective was held in memory of one of Spain’s most well-known and beloved conductors, Jesus López-Cobos and included his former manager, Ms. Beatrice Altobelli, music critic, Justo Romero, and Maestro López-Cobos’ son, Maestro François López Ferrer, a 2021-2022 Dudamel Fellow with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Associate Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and May Festival.
During meeting, the members elected a new slate of ICG Officers and Directors for 2023 and included the promotion of Dr. Claire Fox Hillard, President of the International Conductors Guild, who previously had served as both Treasurer, President-Elect, and Valencia Conference Chairperson, Mr. Christopher Blair, Vice-President, Dr. Julie Sorensen, Secretary, Dr. Robert Whalen, Treasurer, Dr. Julius P. Williams, Immediate Past President, and Dr. John Farrer, named to a newly created Emeritus Past President position.
