Recent Courses
Course Details
This summer And Other Duties returned once again to Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester for
RISING STARS 2026.
One of our most popular courses, Rising Stars gave six conductors the rare chance to work with
some of the world’s most talented young musicians.
Chetham’s is the UK’s largest specialist music school, and its students are drawn from all over the
globe – as are our AOD participants. Over the past four years, we have welcomed conductors from
Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Spain, Ukraine, the UK and the US to
Rising Stars.
This year we had six conductors across three projects:
Project 1
Four conductors will shared the podium with Karen Ní Bhroin and the Chetham’s Symphony
Orchestra
Chetham’s Symphony Orchestra
Stoller Hall, Manchester
Concert July 3, 2026
Repertoire:
Huw Watkins, Fanfare conducted by AOD Participant
Ruth Gipps, Song for Orchestra conducted by AOD Participant
Prokofiev, Piano Concerto No. 2 conducted by AOD Participant
Mahler Symphony No. 1 conducted by Karen Ní Bhroin
Two students were selected to rehearse and perform Huw Watkins, Fanfare, Ruth Gipps, Song for
Orchestra and Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 2 in concert.
Two students were selected to assist Karen Ní Bhroin on the preparation of Mahler’s First
Symphony. Extensive podium time will be offered in sectional rehearsals and tutti.
Project 2
One conductor shared the podium with senior Chetham’s staff and the Chetham’s
Philharnonic Orchestra
Chetham’s Philharmonic Orchestra
Stoller Hall, Manchester
Concert July 2, 2026
Repertoire:
Berlioz, Symphonie Fantastique (March to the Scaffold) conducted by AOD Paritipcant
Honegger, Cello Concerto conducted by AOD Participant
Bates, Sprite conducted by Chetham’s Staff (BBC Ten Pieces arrangement)
Williams, Jurassic Park conducted by Chetham’s staff
Andrea Ekland, A Flying River Boat conducted by AOD Participant
Project 3
One conductor conducted a concert with the vocal department of Chetham’s School of Music
Chetham’s Opera Department
Watkins Theatre, Manchester
Concert July 3rd, 2026
Scenes from operatic favourites with the vocal students of Chetham’s.
Staged performances with piano accompaniment
Course Details
And Other Duties, in collaboration with the award-winning Fame’s recording studio in
Skopje, North Macedonia, returned for 6 days of in-depth studio experience. Three conductors had
orchestral podium time every day and a professional recording at the end of the
project, conducting their own short film scores with the Fame’s Institute
orchestra, under the guidance of AOD course leaders Tim Redmond and Alastair
King (orchestrator and conductor for Downton Abbey & Harry Potter etc.). They were also
involved in every aspect of studio life during the week learning about
conducting to click, working with a producer, the process of recording a film score,
and much, much more.
Course Details
What does it take to design, script, present and conduct a pops concert?
How does a pops show differ to a classical concert? What should you programme? Where do you source the music? Who will you choose as your soloist? What are the challenges for the orchestra? Who is your audience?
Three conductors joined And Other Duties, the Wiltshire Music Centre, the West of England Youth Orchestra, and West End vocal sensation Emily Apps to answer all of those questions.
A NIGHT AT THE OSCARS was a celebration of everyone’s favourite Academy Award-winning songs and film scores – and we are offering two conductors the chance to fully immerse themselves in all aspects of this fascinating, exhilarating and ever-popular side to orchestral life.
This was a fully hands-on course. Our participants Assisted Tim Redmond – took preliminary orchestral rehearsals, gave balance notes, and liaised with the venue on technical and musical issues – They also performed in both performances. All conductors were given selected items to conduct in the concerts on January 2 and 3.
And, as with all AND OTHER DUTIES courses, there were talks, seminars and teaching sessions to enable participants to build their own pops concert.
Course Details
Karen and Tim worked with the students at Mozarteum over three days with full ensemble on both Dvořak Serenade for Strings and Winds.
Course Details
Course 1
June 25th–30th 2025
Opera assisting in collaboration with Chetham’s School of Music
In this And Other Duties course, students worked with some of the best young musicians in the world as they prepared for staged performances of Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges. They played an integral role in the rehearsal process, and gained hands-on experience in opera conducting, leading both staging and orchestral rehearsals.
Course 2
June 30th–July 4th 2025
Building an Education Concert in association with Manchester Camerata
Students received detailed training and guidance on programming, writing, presenting and conducting family and education concerts. Working with a members of Manchester Camerata, they created their own education show which were performed in Manchester schools to audiences of several hundred elementary school children.
There were seminars and working sessions with senior management from the LSO, BBC Philharmonic and Manchester Camerata and, as with all And Other Duties courses, there were networking events with representatives from other leading arts organisations.
Course Details
Course 1
June 25th–30th 2025
Opera assisting in collaboration with Chetham’s School of Music
In this And Other Duties course, students worked with some of the best young musicians in the world as they prepared for staged performances of Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges. They played an integral role in the rehearsal process, and gained hands-on experience in opera conducting, leading both staging and orchestral rehearsals.
Course 2
June 30th–July 4th 2025
Building an Education Concert in association with Manchester Camerata
Students received detailed training and guidance on programming, writing, presenting and conducting family and education concerts. Working with a members of Manchester Camerata, they created their own education show which were performed in Manchester schools to audiences of several hundred elementary school children.
There were seminars and working sessions with senior management from the LSO, BBC Philharmonic and Manchester Camerata and, as with all And Other Duties courses, there were networking events with representatives from other leading arts organisations.
Course Details
And Other Duties, in collaboration with the award-winning Fame’s recording studio in Skopje, North Macedonia offered 7 days of in-depth studio experience. With orchestral podium time every day and a professional recording at the end of the project, students acted as assistants to AOD course leader Tim Redmond as well as conducted their own short film scores with the Fame’s Institute orchestra.
The course offered the opportunity to rehearse and record brand new orchestral film scores by composers from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam in one of the world’s busiest recording studios.
Webinar Details
Our free webinars, which we offer throughout the year, have been attended by hundreds of conductors from around the world.
In this webinar, we covered topics including rehearsal technique, score preparation, communicating with young musicians, managing professional relationships — and how to make yourself indispensable to a music director, orchestra, or organisation.
Course Details
After two years of hugely successful sell-out courses in Europe, And Other Duties we brought our unique style of mentoring to the USA!
RISING STARS New York was an intensive 2-day course offering immersive and practical training on working with young musicians.
Over two days conductors rehearsed the Dvořák and Tchaikovsky string serenades and received 1:1 coaching session with Marin Alsop. We held feedback sessions, seminars about all things education-related and a Q&A with Marin about her extensive work in the field of education.
Access All Arias
in partnership with the International Vocal Competition
October 3rd - 6th 2024, s'Hertogenbosch, Netherlands
Course Details
And Other Duties, in partnership with the International Vocal Competition, proudly presented Access All Arias: a conductor’s guide to working with opera singers.
As well as practical conducting sessions with soloists, piano and chamber ensemble, participants were fully-immersed in the final days of the 2024 International Vocal Competition in s’-Hertogenbosch, attending vocal masterclasses and orchestral rehearsals and panel discussions of the World Federation of International Music Competitions. As with all And Other Duties courses, there were in-depth networking sessions too, with the chance to meet opera directors and conductors, Intendants, casting directors and industry leaders from around the world.
Led by the General and Artistic Director of IVC, counter tenor Andrew Watts (La Scala, New York Philharmonic, Bayerische Staatsoper) and the directors of AOD, conductors Timothy Redmond (Covent Garden, Wiener Staatsoper, The Met) and Karen Ní Bhroin (Bregenz, ENO, INO), this was a rare chance for 6 conductors to learn first-hand about the opera world, to refine their skills on the podium, and to work with some of the most talented young singers in the world.
Course Details
For an entire week, participants were involved in all aspects of rehearsing the outstanding Chetham’s Symphony Orchestra – from taking sectionals to assisting guest conductor Lee Reynolds. There was plenty of podium time and in addition to conducting the Symphony Orchestra, participants worked with younger students in the Chetham’s Philharmonic and with small ensembles of professional musicians drawn from the outstanding teaching staff at the school.
When not conducting, we held seminars on all aspects of working with young musicians and on designing concerts for young people. Participants learned about how to manage rehearsals and how to achieve the right balance when programming for young musicians. We also talked about safeguarding and how to work with your team, along the difference between working with different age groups.
Course Details
And Other Duties, in collaboration with FAME’S, offered a rare chance for eight conductors to spend five full days in one of the world’s busiest orchestral recording studios.
At their state-of-the-art building in Skopje, North Macedonia, FAME’S have recorded thousands of scores for films, TV, videos games, music library, pop and classical music projects since they were founded in 2008. The FAME’S orchestra draws the very best players from all over the Balkans and their recordings have won countless international awards.
Students were fully immersed in studio life, observing live recording sessions from within the control booth and sitting amongst the orchestra in the studio. They learnt how to run a session, acted as an assistant producer, and watched the engineers at work. They left the course with an edited recording with multi-camera 4K video footage which they could use for applications.
The Rite
Orchestras of the Future with Marin Alsop
Course Details
THE RITE offered participants the chance to study, conduct and assist on Stravinsky’s seminal ballet, The Rite of Spring, to meet leading international orchestral managers, to work closely with Marin Alsop and conduct in a public masterclass with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland.
We hosted three chamber sessions (with 2 pianos and string ensemble working with principal musicians of the NSO) over two days, followed by a whole day conducting the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland.
Participants had 90 minutes of podium time, seminars with industry leaders from Irish Chamber Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, Contemporary Music Centre, Irish National Opera, National Symphony Orchestra and The National Concert Hall. All of this while having the opportunity to assist Marin Alsop for her own rehearsals with the NSO performance of The Rite of Spring.
Course Details
In this inaugural And Other Duties course, participants worked with some of the best youth orchestras in the world as they prepared for a concert in Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall.
Working with three different youth ensembles in sectionals, writing their own show, presenting, conducting and collaborating with some of Manchester’s finest musicians, our team presented their own education show.
They were also joined by industry leaders from BBC Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, Gävle Symfoniorkester, pianist Alexandra Dariescu and Robert Guilder Management in a series of talks.