Texas State University School of Music student Cutter W. González has been admitted to the International Conducting Workshop & Festival (ICWF) in Lviv, Ukraine in August 2021!
This workshop will focus on Brahms’ four symphonies across twelve full orchestra sessions and nine sextet sessions, totaling more than 40 hours of instructional time with the Lviv National Philharmonic Orchestra. Each conductor will be given a minimum of an hour in front of the full orchestra under supervision of faculty Susan Lorette Dunn, Opera Studies Rice University Shepherd School of Music, Larry Rachleff, Conducting Rice University Shepherd School of Music, Donald Schleicher, Chair of Conducting University of Illinois School of Music, Michael Sheppard, worship pianist, and Benjamin Loeb, Artistic Director for the ICWF.
Throughout the full sessions, conductors will have free choice of how they choose to rehearse the repertoire in the historical concert stage of the Lviv Philharmonie. Sextet sessions are comprised of the string quintet of the Lviv Philharmonic and pianist Michael Sheppard who will cover the remaining parts and will work to explore the repertoire in further detail. Rounding out the experience are discussion sessions at the end of each day where conductors will receive one-on-one feedback form the faculty to help guide them through the workshop.
González holds a Bachelor of Science in Geography with minors in Public Admin and Psychology from Texas State University, class of 2017. He is working on completing his second Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance, where he studies Horn under Dr. Caroline Steiger. With hopes of pursuing graduate programs in Conducting, this opportunity is critical for building González’s repertoire in preparation for graduate school applications this year.
Music is clearly González’s passion, but the choice to return to campus was not a decision he made lightly. “The arts are crucial,” says González. “They continue to move us, helping us survive and find beauty even in dark times like those we have lived in recently.” We agree with these sentiments and are proud of Cutter González and all our students who have not let the COVID-19 pandemic quell their passions or stop them from achieving their goals.