Conductors' Guild (American Symphony Orchestra League)

The Conductors Guild serves as an advocate for the conducting profession. Its membership of close to 2,000 represents conductors on a global scale.

The Guild is concerned with the art and the craft of conducting, with practical problems encountered within the profession, with repertoire, and with the multiple roles that Music Directors must fulfill in orchestras, choruses, opera and ballet companies, wind ensembles, bands, musical theater, and other instrumental and vocal ensembles, whether these are professional or amateur, functioning independently or within the context of colleges, universities, and secondary or primary schools. The Guild's overall goal is to enhance the professionalism of conductors by serving as a clearing house for knowledge and information regarding the art and practice of conducting. It also supports the artistic growth of orchestras, bands, choruses and other conducted ensembles. The Guild has a broader potential role as well: to communicate to the music community the views and opinions of the conducting profession, for which the Guild can serve as a collective voice. In June of 1974, at the American Symphony Orchestra League's National Conference held in Memphis, Tennessee, several conductors gathered together to informally discuss problems germane to their profession. Out of those discussions was born the Conductors Guild. During the year that followed, ground work to establish a meaningful organization for conductors which would be run by conductors was begun. In 1985 the Guild became independent. Since 1985, the Guild has expanded its services and solidified its role as a collective voice for conductors' interests everywhere. It is supported by membership dues, grants, donations and program fees and is registered with the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation. It holds annual conferences as well as workshops, seminars and symposia throughout the year.

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