Welcome to the Forum Dirigieren

(Conductors Forum)

The Forum Dirigieren is the German Music Council's nationwide support program for young conductors. It promotes young talent in the fields of orchestral conducting and choral conducting and stands for the artistic encounter of the young generation of conductors with nationally and internationally renowned personalities. The scholarship holders of the Forum Dirigieren are accompanied over several years on their way into professional life.

During conducting masterclasses, the scholarship holders are given the opportunity to rehearse and conduct concerts with professional orchestras and choirs under the guidance of renowned mentors.

Through the placement of assistantships, concerts and engagements, the young conductors are positioned in the theater and orchestra scene. Scholarship holders who have demonstrated their artistic quality for several years and have reached the second level of support are also included in the artist list „Konzertförderung Forum Dirigieren“, which is financially supported by the "Gesellschaft zur Verwertung von Leistungsschutzrechten GmbH" (GVL).

The Forum Dirigieren also organizes the German Conducting Award in Cologne and the German Choral Conducting Award (Deutscher Chordirigentenpreis) in Berlin.

The German Music Council (Deutscher Musikrat, DMR) is committed to the interests of 15 million people who make music in Germany and is the world's largest national umbrella organization for music culture. It represents around 100 organizations and associations in professional and amateur musical life, as well as the 16 state music councils.


Possibilites to apply

Orchestral Conducting

The Forum Dirigieren is the German Music Council's nationwide support program for top young conductors. It promotes young talent in the fields of orchestral conducting and choral conducting. You can apply for admission to the selection process for orchestral conductors 2024, if you are a conductor born in 1993 or later and have German citizenship or are working or studying in Germany.

More information (in German)Apply

German Conducting Award

The German Conducting Award (GCA) is an international competition for young conductors. It takes the genres of opera and concert equally into account in the repertoire and thus challenges the cross-genre skills of the candidates. Two outstanding orchestras, an excellent ensemble of singers and a first-class concert hall are at their disposal throughout the competition. With its prize money, extensive support measures and renowned partners, the German Conducting Award supports young conductors on their path to professional careers.

More about the competitionApply

Choral Conducting

The Forum Dirigieren is the German Music Council's nationwide support program for top young conductors. It promotes young talent in the fields of orchestral conducting and choral conducting. You can apply for admission to the selection process for choral conductors 2024, if you are a conductor born in 1993 or later and have German citizenship or are working or studying in Germany.

More information (in German)Apply

The Critical Orchestra®

The Critical Orchestra - Das Kritische Orchester® is a cooperation between Forum Dirigieren (Conductors Forum) and Hanns Eisler School of Music Berlin. It unites members of well-known orchestras, who gather on a voluntary basis to offer young junior conductors a globally unique teaching situation. It is the musicians themselves who give the feedback and suggestions to the conductors during the rehearsal phase.

More about the orchestraApply


Should you have any questions, you are welcome to contact us:

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