Siemens launches international competition for conductors

Siemens is launching their first conducting competition on an international scale. In cooperation with the renowned Hallé Orchestra (UK) the Siemens Arts Program is starting the “Siemens Hallé International Conductors Competition” (SHCC). The final takes place over a three-day period in February 2020 and awards the best young (conducting) talent with a two-year engagement as Assistant Conductor for the Hallé. In addition to becoming artistic director of the Hallé Youth Orchestra, the winner will receive a cash prize of £15,000 and the possibility to establish themselves on the global stage through numerous guest conducting appearances. The prestigious position of Assistant Conductor of the Hallé has already been held by Edward Gardner, Andrew Gourlay, Ewa Strusińska, Jamie Phillips and Jonathon Heyward.

“Directing an orchestra is a continuous challenge for any kind of modern leadership. Siemens is proud to connect the best talents of not only the research and development sector, but also the creative fields on a global scale”, said Stephan Frucht, Artistic Director of the Siemens Arts Program. John Summers, Chief Executive of the Hallé, added: “We are delighted to be working with Siemens to extend this opportunity to global audiences, bringing the very best and brightest musical talent to Manchester.”

Next to Frucht and Summers, the seven-member jury consists of further experts of the classical music world, namely Sir Mark Elder (Music Director of the Hallé), Carola Reul (Managing Director, Junge Deutsche Philharmonie), Geoffrey Owen (Head of Artistic Planning of the Hallé), Julia Albrecht (Director at Konzertdirektion Schmid), as well as Arna Kristín Einarsdóttir (Managing Director, Island Symphony Orchestra and incoming Managing Director for the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Canada).

The SHCC is exemplary for Siemens’ innovative fusion of technology, art and social engagement. The orchestra and the company look back on a 20-year history of a partnership which has not only brought classical music to a wider audience but has also enabled a number of educational and Public Relation projects in Great Britain.

“Siemens has a long and positive relationship with Manchester and aligning ourselves to the city’s premier cultural organization is a natural partnership for us. However, most significantly our on-going work with the Hallé musicians also creates the opportunity to genuinely enhance our work and our employee skills base and we understand acutely the tangible value of our association.”, said Juergen Maier, CEO of Siemens UK.

The final round of the SHCC takes place in the newly restored Hallé St. Peter’s church from February 20th to 22nd 2020. Applications from all over the world can be submitted until July 1st 2019, 01:00 p.m. GMT. The list of Semi-Finalists will be published in September 2019. On the evening of February 22nd 2020 the winner will be announced.

Application and further information: www.conductors-competition.com

Further information on the Siemens Arts Program: www.siemens.com/artsprogram

Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for more than 170 years. The company is active around the globe, focusing on the areas of power generation and distribution, intelligent infrastructure for buildings and distributed energy systems, and automation and digitalization in the process and manufacturing industries. Through the separately managed company Siemens Mobility, a leading supplier of smart mobility solutions for rail and road transport, Siemens is shaping the world market for passenger and freight services. Due to its majority stakes in the publicly listed companies Siemens Healthineers AG and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, Siemens is also a world-leading supplier of medical technology and digital healthcare services as well as environmentally friendly solutions for onshore and offshore wind power generation. In fiscal 2018, which ended on September 30, 2018, Siemens generated revenue of €83.0 billion and net income of €6.1 billion. At the end of September 2018, the company had around 379,000 employees worldwide. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.