Conducting Workshop with Carl Topilow

May 28 - 31, 2025

Conductor Carl Topilow, author of The Orchestral Conductor’s Career Handbook, will be hosting a conducting workshop on May 28, 29, 30, and 31, 2025 in Cleveland. Each of the 14 participants will receive 60 minutes of podium time.

All sessions will be held at the Cleveland Pops offices, 23245 Mercantile Road, Unit B, Beachwood, OH, 44122, a suburb of Cleveland. Participants will be conducting members of the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, a professional union orchestra performing at Severance Music Center and throughout Northeast Ohio. There are ample hotel choices within a 15-to-20-minute walk or 5 minutes by car to the office.

Included in the workshop are conducting sessions on rehearsing, accompanying, and opera recitatives as well as discussion sessions on winning and keeping a job, pops concerts, and a talk from an executive director.

Participants are encouraged to record each of their conducting sessions for their personal archives.

Tuition is $1295; there is no application fee.

  • January 27, 2025 – applications may be sent

  • March 24, 2025 - deadline for applications

  • March 31, 2025 - final notification of acceptance

  • April 7, 2025 – a $500 non-refundable hold deposit due

  • April 22, 2025 – balance of full payment due

To apply, send a resume and two contrasting videos of your conducting to carl@clevelandpops.com. As applicants may be accepted on a rolling basis, meaning that applicants may be accepted before the application deadline, early application is encouraged.

Seminar Schedule

  • 1:00 p.m. Check- in.

    1:15 p.m. Participants introduce themselves: background, musical philosophy, statement of purpose

    Conducting Session #1 - 2:30 - 5:30 p.m. | Conducting session with string quintet.

    Select one piece:

    • Walker – Lyric for Strings

    • Boulogne, Joseph – Symphony #2, second movement

    • Mozart – Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, 2nd movement

    • Mozart – Divertimento K 138 (select two movements)

    • Holst – St. Paul’s Suite (select two movements)

    • Warlock – Capriol Suite (select two movements)

    Conducting Session #2 - 7:00-10:00 p.m. | Conducting session with full orchestra.

    • Beethoven - Symphony #1

    • Brahms - Variations on a theme by Haydn

  • Conducting Session #3 - 9:00 a.m. - Noon |Conducting session with string orchestra.

    Accompanying - Choose 1:

    • Debussy – Sacred and Profane Dances for Harp and Orchestra

    • Griffes – Poeme for Flute and Orchestra

    • Vivaldi– Spring from the Four Seasons, 1st and 3rd movements

    Conducting Session #4 - 1:30 - 4:30 p.m. | Conducting session with orchestra.

    Select one piece:

    • Elgar – Serenade, 2nd movement

    • Gershwin – Lullaby

    • Puccini – Crisantemi

    • Tchaikovsky – Serenade for Strings, 3rd movement

    • Dvorak Serenade, 1st or 4td movement

    • Respighi – Ancient Airs and Dances #3

    Discussion session #1 - 4:45 - 5:15 p.m. | The Executive Director’s Perspective

    One participant will be selected to conduct a piece for the Cleveland Pops Orchestra’s May 31st Concert, which will include the two rehearsals.

    Cleveland Pops rehearsal observation 7:30-10:00 p.m. at Beachwood High School, 25100 Fairmount Blvd, Beachwood, OH 44122

  • Conducting Session #5 - 9:00 a.m. - Noon | Orchestra. Opera recitatives, select one of the following pieces:

    • Mozart – The Marriage of Figaro, #19: recitative (E Susana non vien) and aria (Dove sono)

    • Mozart - The Marriage of Figaro, #27: recitative (Giunse alfin il momento) and aria (Deh vieni)

    • Mozart – Cosi’ fan tutte, #11: Ah, scostati (recitative only)

    Participants have the option to conduct repertoire from Conducting Session #1 if preferred, instead of the opera recitatives.

    Discussion session #2 - 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. | Winning a Job and Keeping it: Rehearsal Strategies

    Discussion session #3 - 2:45 - 3:45 p.m. | The Cleveland Pops Story and Building a Pops Season  

    Conducting Session #6 - 7:00 - 10:00 p.m. | Rehearsal workshop.

    • Mendelssohn Symphony #3– 1st movement: introduction and/or 3rd movement complete

    • Mendelssohn Symphony #5 – 1st movement: introduction and/or 3rd movement complete

  • Conducting Session #7 - 9:00 a.m. - Noon | Conducting session with string quintet (repertoire from session #1):

    • Walker – Lyric for Strings

    • Boulogne, Joseph – Symphony #2, second movement

    • Mozart – Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, 2nd movement

    • Mozart – Divertimento K 138 (select two movements)

    • Holst – St. Paul’s Suite (select two movements)

    • Warlock – Capriol Suite (select two movements)

    Cleveland Pops Orchestra Rehearsal - 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. | Severance Hall

    Cleveland Pops Orchestra Concert - 7:30 p.m. | Free admission and post-concert reception for participants. (about a 20-minute drive to Severance Hall).

Here are comments from participants in Carl’s January 2025 workshop

  • I’d like to thank you again for the incredible experience of working with you and with the musicians of Cleveland Pops.  It was truly an honor to be a part of this excellent workshop.

    Zach Levi

  • The environment is so warm, and you can really feel that Carl and the musicians of the Cleveland Pops Orchestra want you to succeed. I especially appreciated how much Carl would let us just conduct before commenting. His remarks were concise, helpful, and directly applicable.

    Sam Cooper

  • Thank you for an amazing workshop! It was a thrill to meet you, and to learn from you and your wonderful musicians. I particularly enjoyed the challenging repertoire and the insightful, direct, and encouraging feedback I received from you and from your orchestra. The hospitality provided was very much appreciated, and I enjoyed the collegial atmosphere in which the workshop was run.

    Greg Peterson

  • I greatly appreciated the chance to ‘fine tune’ my gestures and to receive immediate feedback from an experienced conductor and pedagogue. The discussion sessions were invaluable, and it was so wonderful to hear about how the Cleveland Pops was formed and how the Firelands Symphony has evolved into a professional orchestra.

    Joann Drimatis

  • I had never attended a workshop before where the orchestra members offered such helpful feedback and also seemed like genuinely kind and supportive people.

    Ron Atienza

  • A few of the things that left an impression were your overall professional attitude, your ability to sing any given line, and your clear musical interpretations of the pieces. The trip certainly was worth my time.

    Trevor McFarland

Former Student Testimonials

“I can definitely say that our time together and your teaching on efficient rehearsing made all the difference!”

— Gaddiel Dombrowner

Recent winner of the Kussewitzky Conducting Competition in Grosseto, Italy; winner of the 3rd Turchak Conducting Competition 3rd prize winner of the Blue Danube Opera Conducting

“I have absorbed more than I can possibly measure about conducting and the orchestral world from Carl Topilow going back to my years as his Assistant Conductor with the National Repertory Orchestra. From intricate details in orchestral scores to his invaluable and practical advice on presenting Pops concerts, I have had the privilege of learning from Carl for decades – and hope to continue to do so through his new book!”

— Alfred Savia

Artistic Advisor & Principal Conductor, Indianapolis Opera; Conductor Laureate, Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra

“My time spent learning to be an orchestral conductor with Carl was incredibly meaningful and helpful. From Carl I learned how to run an efficient rehearsal (a MUST for an assistant conductor especially), how to successfully engage my colleagues and get their best from them, and how to really dive deep into a score and arrive at a convincing interpretation through preparation and decision-making. He has continued to be a lifelong mentor for me, and I am extremely grateful for all his guidance and insight throughout my career.”

— Chelsea Tipton

Music Director and Conductor, Symphony of Southeast Texas; Pops Conductor, New Haven Symphony

“Carl Topilow has at the same time the detailed, refined expertise of a Swiss watch craftsman and the energy of a master. His infinite curiosity brought him to have a technical knowledge of every instrument and repertoire (from pops to crossover, from opera (I'm Italian and every now and then he'd quote for me lines from Italian operas) - to symphony. His efficiency in rehearsing is exemplary: going straight to the core of the problem with few incisive words and fixing it. Then his performance energy is at the same time strong and calm: he has a certain way of making people feel at ease that playing for him becomes easy: yet you're doing exactly what he wants!

On a personal side, his curiosity and generosity are outstanding: he considered me family from day 1 (of course speaking Italian to me - he speaks a number of foreign languages easily and wouldn't miss a chance to use them!) and was glad to spend hours with me, making sure I was prepared to do my best for my concerts and duties. And the best part is that it's a "life subscription": once you've studied or worked with him, you can always go back to ask suggestions, ideas and projects and with his fine humor, he'll be there with answers and advice. I'm very grateful to have had the chance to be his assistant at NRO and to have stayed in touch since, I owe him a lot!”

— Stefano Sarzani

Staff and Conducting Assistant, Lyric Opera of Chicago; Frequent opera guest conductor

“I am grateful that Carl understands the value of experiential learning. There is no substitute for standing on the podium and experiencing the incredible organism that is an orchestra and being allowed to experiment — sometimes more successfully than others. I am profoundly grateful for the numerous opportunities Carl presented to me during my years as Assistant Conductor of the NRO, and for the wisdom and perspective he offered during that time.”

— Mark Russell Smith

Music director and Conductor, Quad Cities Symphony; Conductor and Director of the Orchestral Program, University of Minnesota

“Here’s a book I wish had been available when I was starting out as a conductor. If you want to shave about 10 years off your learning curve, make this book your professional go-to guide. I worked under Carl at the beginning of my career and have continued to cherish our friendship through the present day. He is the real deal: a conductor who understands deep down what it takes to be successful. Just look at his career, and you’ll see the proof right there. Do yourself a favor and invest in The Conductor’s Journey – A Guide for the Young and Emerging Conductor. I know I already have!”

— Paul Haas

Music Director and Conductor, Symphony of Northwest Arkansas Music Director and Conductor, and the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra

“I was always impressed with Carl’s practical knowledge of and experience with the repertoire, to the point where he could accurately predict what would happen in a particular spot. ‘The horn will be sharp in this chord, the violas will rush in these measures, this tempo change will be tough because…’ as examples. Many of those predictions have been borne out in my own experience!”

— Steven Smith

Music Director and Conductor, Richmond Symphony; Former Assistant Conductor, Cleveland Orchestra

Here are just a few of the students with whom I have worked:

CIM Masters in Orchestral Conducting

  • Mélisse Brunet

    Conductor, Northeastern Pennsylvania Orchestra and Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra; Director of Orchestral Activities at University of Iowa

  • Major Dwayne Milburn

    Faculty, UCLA; former Conductor and Arranger, Continental Army Band (Fort Monroe, Virginia,) The U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own” (Washington, DC), and the U.S. Army Europe Band and Chorus (Heidelberg, Germany)

  • Jason Seber

    Former Education Conductor, Louisville Orchestra; former Associate Conductor, Kansas City Symphony, frequent guest conductor

  • Steven Smith

    Conductor, Richmond Symphony (VA); former Assistant Conductor, Cleveland Orchestra, former Conductor, Santa Fe Symphony

  • Deanna Tham

    Currently Assistant Conductor, Oregon Symphony; former Conductor, Boise Youth Orchestra; Louisville Youth Orchestra, Assistant Conductor, Jacksonville Symphony, Omaha Symphony

  • Robert Tuohy

    Conductor, Limoges Symphony and Opera (France); former Assistant Conductor, Montpelier Symphony (France)

NRO Assistant Conductors

  • Robert Franz

    Former conductor Boise Philharmonic, resident conductor, Houston Symphony, conductor, Windsor Symphony

  • Nicholas Hersh

    Former associate conductor, Baltimore Symphony, frequent guest conductor

  • Stilian Kirov

    Conductor of the Illinois Philharmonic and the Bakersfield Symphony; former Associate Conductor, Seattle Symphony and Memphis Symphony

  • Jose-Luis Novo

    Conductor, Annapolis Symphony, frequent guest conductor

  • Mark Russell Smith

    Conductor, University of Minnesota, Quad Cities Symphony

  • Chelsea Tipton

    Conductor Beaumont, TX; pops conductor, New Haven Symphony, former Assistant Conductor, Toledo Symphony