Yalda Zamani is a conductor, researcher, and performer. In this essay, Zamani draws on her personal experience to make a case for more interdisciplinarity in the conductor’s practice. Especially when working with living composers, the substantial collaborative potential of conducting becomes apparent. The search for new methods of collaboration and exchange, our author argues, could inspire new and progressive concepts of leadership in musical practice.

Since childhood, I have spent countless hours wondering about the mysteries of a universe «where no man has gone before». Then, at the age of five, as a present for being brave after getting vaccinated, I received a cake-shaped toy piano. It changed my life forever, distracting me from building telescopes out of empty toilet paper rolls and binocular lenses that (unsurprisingly) never worked. I believe that’s how I became a musician.

Later on, several things convinced me to become a conductor: The relationship and dynamics between the conductor and the orchestra/ensemble; the possibility of collaboratively reaching an artistic result through working with other musicians; and the personal challenges which I had to overcome in order to qualify for a leadership role. My fascination for science as well as music, however, remained an inseparable part of my professional development. I always perceived the two fields as the lenses in a pair of binoculars, allowing me to look at a complex world from a richer perspective.

The Power of Interdisciplinarity

In order to focus on building a «career» in conducting, I kept my background in and passion for both music and science – a somewhat unconventional combination for a conductor – under the radar for a long time. I was convinced that in this profession, having an unconventional profile, or multiple interests in seemingly unrelated fields, were undesirable traits. This understanding, however, was disrupted when I came to a conclusion: That everything that makes us different, can only hold us back if we reduce ourselves to a product that is not presentable to the «market» unless we create a version of ourselves that the market approves and finds fitting. This applies to the music industry more broadly. In other words, strictly defining myself in the role of a conductor, with an established set of expectations, seemed wrong and unfulfilling. Instead, I decided to embrace these differences and to develop appreciation for interdisciplinarity. Understanding the power of joining forces can help us reach a more holistic understanding of the world and a more progressive vision for the future.

My current artistic-scientific doctoral research project at the music university in Hamburg (HfMT) focuses on presenting collaborative performance formats in contemporary classical music through the application of technology, artificial intelligence, and human-computer interaction. It is an attempt to introduce an interdisciplinary approach into my artistic practice as both conductor and researcher.

Progressive Leadership in an Artistic Context

As a conductor, I enjoy working with living composers, where I am not simply expected to present or enforce an already mature vision of the composition on the first rehearsal day. Instead, I am encouraged to keep an open mind – as well as open eyes and ears, to be sure – allowing this vision to take shape in the course of a collaboration involving the musicians and the composer. I have found the nature of such collaborations quite fulfilling, and they have helped me develop further as an artist who believes in collaborations more than in hierarchies.

Since the beginning of my journey as conductor, and throughout the early stages of my career, I developed a critical thinking mindset in regard to the relationship between a conductor and the musicians of an ensemble/orchestra. I realized that, for me as a conductor, clarity of artistic vision and good communication with the musicians are not the only crucial factors. Deep reflections upon the political and social nature of this relationship also matter. Resulting from historically established hierarchies within music institutions, this relationship often manifests itself as a rigid power structure that could lead musicians to regard achieving excellence as the sole purpose of music making. The collaborative aspect of the process, and the rich experience that can result from it, should not be regarded as secondary. It could be up to progressive artistic leadership to ensure that priorities are set according to these values.

A Call for Democratization and Collaboration

Conducting is a lonely profession, not only in the time spent preparing scores and managing rehearsals, but also onstage, where we stand in front of the musicians and turn our back to the audience. As in any leadership role, we come to terms with this fact, but it’s no surprise that under these circumstances we fail to see many opportunities for exchange and collaboration. The rigid institutional structures that we have inherited from the past have influenced our mindset in regard to working with each other. But I believe that these can be gradually transformed into more democratic ecosystems that allow for more collaboration, as has been an established practice for decades among the musicians of several contemporary music ensembles.

We are witnessing a generation of artists who are unwilling to look back at outdated ideas, customs, and traditional structures, and will not engage with a form of art which does not reflect contemporary values. Maybe it’s time for us to reflect upon the necessity of this transition, and how to become part of it.