During this international master class, young conductors will have three days to work with our orchestra under the direction of experienced conductors. Apprentice and master side by side! Together, they will immerse themselves in some absolute repertoire pieces and in the magical art of conducting.
In collaboration with SPECTRA, Muziekcentrum De Bijloke Gent and Forum Dirigieren. With the support of the Flemish government.
Flanders Symphony Orchestra (FSO) in partnership with SPECTRA (ensemble for new music) are inviting 4 young and ambitious conductors to participate in the fifth edition of the FSO-SPECTRA International Conducting Masterclass, this year focusing on Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony in F 'Pastorale' and on new Belgian music (Van Parys, Rathé, Goethals, Brewaeys). Together with Prof. conductor Christian Ehwald and SPECTRA’s artistic leader Filip Rathé, the participants will explore the art of conducting, study the repertoire and share experiences with like-minded artists. This project takes place from 29 May to 1 June 2025 in the world's oldest music centre, Muziekcentrum De Bijloke in Ghent.
Candidates from all over the world registered for this Masterclass. We are happy to present to you the 4 selected conductors.
German conductor Friedrich Praetorius (b. 1996) studied at the Franz Liszt Music University in Weimar under Nicolás Pasquet. He is now working as Kapellmeister and assistant to Donald Runnicles at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. He has worked with the WDR and MDR Sinfonieorchester, the Stuttgarter Philharmoniker and Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi. He has already won several awards and has been supported by Forum Dirigieren since 2023.
British conductor Tess Jackson is Associate Conductor with the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. Born in 2000, she grew up in Germany. She studied music at Cambridge University and completed a Masters in orchestral conducting at the Royal Academy of Music, winning both the Conducting Prize and the Regency Award for outstanding performance. Jackson has already conducted the English National Opera, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Volksoper Wien.
Italian Giovanni Fanizza (1996) participates in the Royal Opera House's Jette Parker Artists Programme from 2025 to 2027, working with the Royal Ballet Company. In 2025, he is a Conducting Fellow at the Aspen Music Festival. In 2024, he started at the Gstaad Conducting Academy where he worked with Johanne Schlaefli and Jaap van Zweden. He is currently pursuing a Masters in orchestral conducting at the Haute école de Musique de Genève with Prof Laurent Gay.
Elvis Pérez is a Venezuelan violinist and conductor who won First Prize at the International Chamber Music Competition ‘Tchaikovsky's Homeland’ in Russia in 2008. He can also often be seen at major European festivals. He has lived in Belgium since 2018 where he studies violin and orchestral conducting at ARTS2 - École supérieure des Arts in Mons. He is also studying art history with a focus on musicology at the Free University of Brussels.
