Orchestral Conducting Fellowship Program

The rigorous and wholesome orchestral conducting fellowship is designed to prepare a diligent and hard-working conducting student for a career in the professional and academic fields by

  • equipping them with a thorough and healthy approach to conducting technique (gaining clarity and expressiveness by releasing unnecessary tension),

  • refining their rehearsal techniques,

  • training them in running all aspects of an orchestral program,

  • teaching them how to teach conducting in a non-ideological, healthy, and sensible way,

  • instilling the importance of informed decision-making through thorough musicological research and score study,

  • placing a strong emphasis on positive and consistent leadership and responsibly engaged citizenship,

  • and allowing them to explore, unfold, and develop themselves in a nurturing and caring environment.

  • receive numerous conducting lessons,

  • study a broad spectrum of repertoire,

  • attend all rehearsals of the festival orchestra and lead portions of many of them,

  • conduct a lab ensemble approximately twice a week,

  • conduct the festival orchestra in performances,

  • learn about historically informed performance practice,

Under the daily, caring tutelage and mentorship of internationally sought-after conducting pedagogue, Dr. Kevin Sütterlin, orchestral conducting fellows will:

  • assist in teaching the “Basics of Conducting” elective,

  • assist in running ensemble placement auditions as well as the concerto competition,

  • execute all orchestra ensemble logistics,

  • run all orchestral librarian duties,

  • learn about the career field, and a fulfilling life in music as a conductor, pedagogue, and collaborator.

Prior to the month at LSM, orchestral conducting fellows will have virtual consultation and planning meetings with Dr. Sütterlin. Fellows also receive access to Dr. Sütterlin’s online conducting technique video database for any further studies they may want to undertake prior to, during, or after their month at LSM.

Orchestral Conducting Fellow Testimonials

Studying with Dr. Kevin Sütterlin as a conducting fellow at Lutheran Summer Music was the most transformative musical experience I have had. Dr. Sütterlin has worked hard to successfully create a role in which one can improve greatly through conducting lessons, consistent podium time in rehearsals and performances, studio classes, and conducting labs. He offers as many lessons as one can prepare for, and devotes all of his time and energy to his conducting fellows. All fellows who have the opportunity to work with Dr. Sütterlin will learn a large amount of diverse repertoire and styles, from classical works to modern compositions by living composers that use extended techniques. He is passionate about historically informed performance practice, and organizes an ensemble of all instrumental fellows including the conducting students to learn both how to perform and conduct classical repertoire.

Dr. Sütterlin is also dedicated to studying and programming diverse composers, and does all that he can to use his position as a conductor and educator to explore all musics and question the musical canon. There is an immeasurable amount of care and attention that Dr. Sütterlin dedicates to his work, and conducting fellows will learn exactly what it means to be prepared and thorough. This includes aspects of being a conductor that are not always focused on in a lesson such as how to run efficient rehearsals, how to manage an ensemble, and how to prepare parts for an ensemble. Dr. Sütterlin will connect his fellows with other faculty at Lutheran Summer Music for instrument lessons and Q & A sessions which is incredibly valuable.

In addition to these important aspects of the conducting fellowship, Dr. Sütterlin is a deeply caring person. As his student, one will receive an immense amount of kindness, patience, and open-mindedness. He is greatly generous with his resources, time, and knowledge. Dr. Sütterlin defines his legacy through the knowledge he shares, the relationships he creates, and the success and well-being of all his students. He is an exceptional conductor and a great pedagogue who it has been a privilege to study with. I cannot recommend Lutheran Summer Music as a conducting fellow with Dr. Sütterlin enough.

— Jessica Jarosz (Minneapolis, MN), 2022 LSM Orchestral Conducting Fellow

My experience studying as the orchestral conducting fellow under Dr. Kevin Sütterlin at Lutheran Summer Music (LSM) was transformative and life-changing musically and personally. We had daily conducting opportunities on the podium with the Lutheran Summer Music Festival Orchestra, studied historically informed performance practice of the classical era on and off the podium, and had daily lessons and studio classes. I was privileged to study with Dr. Sütterlin, who shared his immense knowledge and wisdom generously, whether it was conducting technique, rehearsal technique, cultivating my artistic vision, or expanding my horizons as a person. I've been fortunate to study with Dr. Sütterlin over the years and I've come out of every interaction with him a better musician and a better person. Lutheran Summer Music has been a treasure trove of opportunities for teaching experiences with middle to high schoolers and learning different areas of music from the variety of faculty. It is truly a choose-your-own-adventure freestyle experience where you will have the freedom to explore and decide what you want to get out of the LSM experience.

— Samuel Chen (Honolulu, HI), 2022 LSM Orchestral Conducting Fellow

Working with Dr. Sütterlin at Lutheran Summer Music helped me grow as a musician, leader, and person. Dr. Sütterlin was generous with his time, expertise, and resources and was ready to assist us in any way he could. We would have a lesson every morning working on technique and preparing for what was to come in the day or week ahead. We would also have technique and studio classes to learn and work with each other as a group of conductors. We made a small chamber orchestra with the other fellows. We then worked on historically informed practices with Dr. Sütterlin's expertise. The fellows' ensemble was also a lab orchestra for the conducting fellows to try new repertoire and have more time in front of a group of highly talented musicians. Dr. Sütterlin pushed me in ways that helped me grow as a conductor and leader and was always there when I needed help. While at Lutheran Summer Music, we worked on a wide range of repertoire, which built my understanding of many types of classical music. Lutheran Summer Music has a fantastic faculty that we got to talk with one-on-one because Dr. Sütterlin would create sessions for the conducting fellows to ask questions about their instrument or life in the music field. With Dr. Sütterlin, I learned how to be a conductor and leader, on and off the podium.

— Elizabeth Ames (Tallassee, AL), 2023 LSM Orchestral Conducting Fellow

The opportunity to study orchestral conducting with Dr. Kevin Sütterlin at the Lutheran Summer Music Festival (LSM) was a blessing, and life-changing experience. Daily rehearsals with the Lutheran Summer Music Festival Orchestra provided a vast amount of podium time for us Conducting Fellows, where we studied and rehearsed various diverse repertoires with middle to high schoolers as well as college students. Dr. Sütterlin was extremely generous with his time and resources because he shared his tremendous knowledge with us in daily conducting and studio lessons. Twice per week, we had a rehearsal with the Lab orchestra, comprised of instrumental fellows, where we focused on the historically informed performance practice of the classical era. The Lutheran Summer Music Festival was such an enriching experience in many ways; Dr. Sütterlin’s careful tutelage helped me become a better musician, conductor, and human being. I’m incredibly grateful for this experience and can only recommend applying for LSM.

— Fabian Schneider (Switzerland), 2023 LSM Orchestral Conducting Fellow