Myth in Conducting Pedagogy

Chinese American conductor Hu Yongyan is the founder of the CUHKMus Young Conductors’ Conference. Its second editon is presented in Nanning in association with the Guangxi Symphony Orchestra, Jan 18-21.Here Hu talks about the myth in teaching conducting.This is a Chinese language programme with English synopsis.Hu Yongyan reflects on the difficulty and inherent paradox of teaching conducting. He notes that conducting is often said to be something one truly understands only through long-term experience on the podium, rather than immediate instruction. Having spent most of his career performing rather than teaching, he describes conducting pedagogy as particularly challenging, even “mystical,” because what is taught in the classroom may only be fully understood five or ten years later.He argues that conducting classes inevitably involve a degree of premature instruction, with students required to absorb concepts they may not yet be ready to comprehend, often driven by examinations and institutional demands. Nonetheless, he sees this process as an essential part of artistic growth. Hu stresses that genuine learning in conducting is never instant or effortless; if a student were to grasp everything immediately, it would suggest a problem with the teaching itself. There is, he concludes, no such thing as “happy” or effortless study in learning to conduct. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit klassikom.substack.com