As 2010 prepares to leave the stage and  2011 waits in the wings, eager for its cue to enter, I would like to wrap-up this year of major change to Podium Notes, the newsletter of the Conductors Guild.

In early 2010, with the approval of the CG Board of Directors and the hard work of many Guild members, Podium Notes changed from  what it had been for many years; a static, text-only document in .pdf format — to what it is now; a dynamic, media-rich, interactive, all-electronic publication that, we hope, is more responsive and relevant to our members’ needs than ever before.

Among the many advantages of this new format is the ability to include full-length audio and video files in our articles. As musicians, it’s nice to read a description of how a phrase of music sounds when Sir Roger Norrington conducts it, but how much better is it to actually hear the music performed under his baton? As conductors, it is certainly interesting to read, in an interview, how the legendary Herbert Blomstedt feels about today’s music world, but how much more valuable is it to watch and listen to Maestro Blomstedt talk about it himself without an intermediary filter?

If you’re like me, getting information like this directly from the horse’s mouth is invaluable…and that invaluable information is what we strive to bring to you in each new book review, score review, interview, and article.

So…enjoy our final release of 2010. With you all, we look forward to even more to come in 2011 and beyond!

Happy New Year to All!

David Leibowitz, Editor
Podium Notes

PS – And, as a fun holiday gift to everyone, we also have video of the Conductor Relay Race from the CG 2010 Annual Conference in Copenhagen.