Workshops: Towards New Pathways

In recent years, Mr. Gifford has extended his field of teaching to working with singers and instrumentalists, as well as conductors -- privately and in workshops.

For twenty years he has been on the faculty of the American Symphony Orchestra League's "Donald Thulean Workshops for Conductors."

He has taught many workshops for singers and conductors in Boston, and for conductors on the Italian island of Elba.

Several years ago he coached all the instrumentalists in the musical ensemble, BRAVE NEW WORKS, based in Ann Arbor, MI. The success in this venture encouraged him to broaden his attention to include the teaching of orchestral musicians. He did this in 2006 for the Department of Music, UCLA, and the Norwegian Academy of Music, Oslo, Norway, as well as in private sessions in Boston.

Recently, a new pathway has opened up in his teaching. He has discovered that the principles of teaching that guide him has helped mitigate and even in some cases clear up the pain of musicians with whom he has been working. With so many musicians afflicted by tension/pain, he plans to pursue this avenue in the future.

His 2008 calendar includes:  

• March - Visiting professor, School of Music, University of Arizona
• March - Visiting professor, Governor's School for the Arts, Norfolk, VA
• May 17- 21 - Workshop for Conductors with the Nashua Chamber Orchestra, Nashua, NH.
  For further information contact David Feltner, Dirigent263@aol.com.

His past calendar included:  

• Return visit to UCLA's Department of Music
• Return visit to the Norwegian Academy of Music
• Two five-day workshops for conductors in Wardsboro, Vermont,
  June 12-16 and June 17-22
  www.symphony.org/artistic/gifford_workshops.shtml
• Private lessons by appointment