A new Curtis gig for Nézet-Séguin

Though Philadelphia Orchestra music directors have long had a teaching relationship with the Curtis Institute of Music, Yannick Nézet-Séguin has been formally appointed to inaugurate a four-year conducting program that's described more in terms of mentoring than teaching.

"I have become the musician and conductor that I am today because of every teacher I have had, and it is with this in mind that I look forward to becoming the first mentor conductor at Curtis," Nézet-Séguin said in a statement released this week. "This is how we keep bringing wonderful music to life for so many centuries."

Curtis president Roberto Diaz said Wednesday, "We want to see what we can give that's a more hands-on experience. It evens out the playing field with what we do for instrumentalists and singers."

The first conducting fellow - in a program that stands outside Curtis' formal degree program - is Kensho Watanabe, who graduated this year. The program will involve more conducting and bigger assignments than Curtis has offered. Watanabe will conduct Curtis Opera Theatre's production of The Emperor of Atlantis next month.

The program fills voids left not just at Curtis by last year's retirement of Otto-Werner Mueller, now 87 (whose long teaching career had been winding down), but also in special conducting programs elsewhere that have evaporated for lack of funding.

Having discussed aspects of the new program with conductors ranging from Michael Tilson Thomas, who has done short teaching stints at Curtis, to guest conductors who come to town for the orchestra, Diaz concluded that conducting can be learned in many places, but not necessarily practiced, at least intensively.

"But when I asked who would be a good conductor to do this at Curtis, they all, Simon Rattle included, scratched their heads," Diaz said. "There wasn't an obvious person."

Nézet-Séguin, however, was deeply intrigued by the possibilities, such as extending the training into the practicality of the profession. Watanabe will be in on planning meetings with the orchestra staff and will join his mentor for engagements outside Philadelphia.

Might Nézet-Séguin be a bit young for teaching? Well, he's 38 and "one of the world's great conductors," Diaz said. "When he has come here to do reading sessions with the orchestra, the students have just adored him."