Learning The Ropes (Or The Stick, As It Were)

Young conductors trying to get started in the business face a daunting set of obstacles, not least of which is the fact that conducting is a solitary affair, and there is frequently no one around to answer your questions about how to properly cue the second bassoon, or convince the strings not to drag in the slow movement. For the last ten years, David Zinman has been looking to change that, from his post as head of the Aspen Music Festival.