Practical Conducting Masterclass (By Dr. Po Kwan Law)

Conductors are essential in leading musical ensembles. In addition to helping keep time, conductors communicate musical nuances and dynamics to bring music to life with their hand gestures. Oftentimes conductors might mirror their hand gestures, or they could be expressing too much or too little. Conductors regularly need to practise left-right hand coordination, different cues and its functions, patterns, clarity, and more. This workshop will help teachers become a more expressive conductor and explore what more one can do to unlock their full musical conducting potential.

Dr. Law Po Kwan is a senior lecturer and the programme director of the Associate of Arts (Music Studies) at the Hong Kong Baptist University. She has a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in choral conducting from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, where she received a scholarship for conducting and teaching excellence. Prior to her doctoral degree, she received training in piano and conducting from Oberlin and San Francisco Conservatory. In this workshop, Law will share her expertise in choral conducting with the emphasis on how to convey musical thoughts clearly to the choir . 

Law will discuss important techniques and standards, then collaborate with HKICF 2024 Teachers’ Choir. Four active participants will take turns to conduct the Teachers’ Choir through verbal and hand gestures, leading the choir to sing a few songs under their own interpretations. Law will comment and provide feedback on whether the conductor is able to communicate effectively with their gestures.