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Conducting Academy

NOI+F Conducting Fellows

The NOI+F Conducting Academy provides training and mentorship for emerging conductors. Selected conducting fellows will work closely with each guest conductor throughout the festival, including guidance from NOI+F Music Director Marin Alsop. Between 2 and 3 conducting fellows will be selected each summer.

Conducting fellows will assist with rehearsals each week, receive weekly conducting lab podium time and podium time with the full orchestra for each week’s program. 

Additionally, they will lead the premieres of works by the composition academy fellows, as well as leading select family and community concerts throughout the month.

As a conducting fellow, you can expect the following activities over the course of the festival:

  • Attend all rehearsals and participate in seminars and discussions with each guest conductor and special guests
  • Conducting labs (string quintet + piano) with conductors Valentina Peleggi, David Alan Miller, Marin Alsop and Daniel Hege
  • Podium time each week leading portions of that week’s repertoire under the guidance of that week’s conductor
  • Three chamber orchestra rehearsals in preparation for a public concert of the composer fellow’s new works

NOI+F Conducting Auditors

In addition to the conducting fellows, a small number of applicants may be selected as auditors and be invited to attend one or two-week portions of the festival. Auditors will attend all rehearsals, seminars and lab sessions.

Key Dates

  • • Applications Open: Fri, Oct 31, 2025
  • • Applications Close: Tue, Feb 3, 2026 at 5PM ET
  • • Festival Dates: Wed, May 27-Sun, June 28, 2026

Requirements

  • • Resume (2 pages maximum)
  • • A letter of recommendation addressing your musicianship
  • • Letters of recommendation may be submitted directly with your application OR emailed to noi@umd.edu by your recommenders. Please have them include the subject line, "Letter of Recommendation, 'Your Name'."
  • • Video excerpts of your conducting showing at least 2 contrasting works, each no longer than 3 minutes. Total video should not exceed 6 minutes. All videos must be front-facing, from the point of view of the orchestra. The conductor should occupy at least 1/5 of the total frame in the conducting video submitted.
  • • A document describing the works contained on the video, including repertoire, date/location of the performance or rehearsal and ensemble
  • • A video personal statement describing why you would like to be considered for the NOI+F conducting fellowship. The video should be a maximum length of 2 minutes.
  • • The typical age range for NOI+F is 18-30. All NOI+F fellows must be 18 on or before Wed, May 27, 2026.

Capacity

Between 2 and 3 conducting fellows will be selected each summer.

Repertoire

NOI+F 2026 repertoire will include:

  • Respighi’s Pines of Rome, Roman Festivals and Fountains of Rome
  • Strauss’ Don Juan
  • Nielsen’s Symphony No. 4
  • Ortiz’s Antrópolis
  • Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story and On the Town
  • Copland’s Appalachian Spring
  • Tower's Made in America
  • Shostakovich's Symphony No. 10

Conductors

Our extraordinary cast of conductors bring decades of orchestral leadership and vision to our stages.

Meet Our 2026 Conductors

Fees

Application

$50 if submitted on or before Fri, Dec 12, 2025
$75 if submitted after Fri, Dec 12, 2025

University of Maryland students apply with no fee! BIPOC students: you can apply to NOI+F at no cost using the Equity Arc Common App. Learn more here.

Please note, application fees are non-refundable.

Tuition

Conducting Academy fellows are not charged a tuition or program fee to attend the festival and will only be responsible for housing costs.

Housing

There are two options for housing at NOI+F. Fellows are welcome to purchase on-campus housing through NOI+F, or to arrange their own accommodations for their time at the festival.

Option 1: On-Campus Housing (Arranged by NOI+F, Meals Included)

  • • Double Room: $1935.00 (2025 price)
  • • Single Room: $2200.00 (2025 price)
  • • Estimated housing costs for 2026. Subject to change.

All rooms are located on the University of Maryland campus in an air-conditioned apartment.

You will select your housing options upon acceptance into the program. Housing fees are due on or before check-in to the program. (Housing fees are subject to change)

NOI+F Housing Scholarships are only applicable to on-campus, NOI+F provided housing. Should you choose to look for off-campus housing, you will forfeit any housing scholarship offered to you.

Option 2: Off-Campus Housing (Self-Arranged)

  • • Fellows may arrange their own local housing if desired.
  • • Sublets for the duration of NOI+F near the University of Maryland can be found through a variety of websites. A list of resources will be provided to all fellows upon acceptance.

Parking

Participants who wish to park their car on the University of Maryland campus will be required to purchase a parking permit from the University. Campus parking fees are set by the University’s Department of Transportation Services and are not under the purview of NOI+F. Discounted satellite parking options will be made available closer to the festival. More information will be made available regarding the cost and specific parking locations upon acceptance.

Internet

Wireless internet access is available to participants throughout the UMD campus for a nominal fee. Free internet is available to Eduroam members. Check here to verify if your current college/university participates in Eduroam.

Apply Here

Questions + Additional Information

If you have additional questions or would like additional information, contact us at noi@umd.edu or 301.405.2317.