David Jacobs, orchestral conducting faculty
The orchestral conducting program at the University of Oregon is designed for 1-2 conductors to gain valuable experience conducting orchestras of all levels, from non-music majors to professionals.
Students have a weekly studio class with string quartet where they work through standard canonical works from Baroque-21st century repertoire. This course represents a significant opportunity to hone gestural vocabulary to discover how to get what you want out of an orchestra. We also study scores, repertoire, interpretation, bowings., etc.
Additionally, students can coach and conduct student musicians weekly. Students are also able to conduct the campus orchestra, made up of non-majors from across the campus community as well as music education majors in rehearsal and performance. They also serve as assistants for the University of Oregon Symphony Orchestra (UOSO) [link to 3.1a] where they will conduct sectionals, and smaller works in performance. Finally, each student’s capstone project will include a major work with the UOSO. Past students have conducted full Brahms, Beethoven, and Schubert symphonies, as well as tone poems like Scheherazade, and Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet.
Select students will have the opportunity to act as assistants to three professional orchestras based in Eugene: the Eugene Symphony Orechestra (ESO), the Oregon Mozart Players, and the Eugene Opera. These organizations represent some of the finest musical institutions in the Northwest, and provide students will invaluable experience working with professionals, as well as giving them one-on-one access to their conductors. Past students have conducted the ESO in rehearsal, are listed in their program as a conducting fellow, and awarded a stipend. The OMP, Eugene’s premiere chamber orchestra, has awarded students a stipend to act as assistant conductor, offering the opportunity to conduct works in concert under the tutelage of Kelly Kuo. Finally, the Eugene Opera gives students the opportunity to conducting off-stage groups and are given unprecedented access to Meastro Bisantz to learn about the nuances of opera conducting.
Given the robust opportunities available to conducting students, the orchestral program has been proud to attract some of the finest young conductors in the country, hailing from prestigious programs such as the University of Georgia, Eastman, Indiana University, and the New England Conservatory. Even more importantly, they have gone onto equally prestigious programs after graduation. Dr. Jacobs’ students have been accepted into the conducting program at Aspen, and doctoral programs such as Michigan State University, Eastman, and Peabody.
TESTIMONIALS FROM PREVIOUS ORCHESTRAL CONDUCTING STUDENTS
"I am about to enter my third year as a student of Dr. David Jacobs. I have had many teachers in my life and Dr. Jacobs has stood out amongst them as an instructor who has made an incredible impact on me as a conductor, musician, and person. Conducting is an art form that is incredibly difficult to understand and master for oneself, let alone to understand it enough to be able to teach it effectively. Dr. Jacobs understands conducting on a very deep and visceral level and is able to adapt and mold himself as an instructor to fit your needs as a person learning to conduct. I have watched him change his teaching style to best fit my needs and to whomever he is teaching. Above all, I have felt valued and respected as his student and assistant these past two years. Dr. Jacobs has been open and generous with his knowledge and resources, constantly giving me opportunities to get on the podium and setting up professional work for me. Years from now, I will look back on my time at the University of Oregon School of Music and Dance and feel immense gratitude to have studied with him."
- Daniel Cho, current student, class of 2022
"It is hard to overstate how much I learned in the two years I spent at the University of Oregon. Dr. Jacobs has built a Master's program that eclipses most DMA positions in podium time, industry opportunities, and high-level instruction. Dr. Jacobs is a patient, compassionate, and highly competent instructor who always makes time for his students. Quite frankly, there are very few instructors out there who understand the craft of conducting as well as him. This program is a hidden gem!"
- Jonathan DeBruyn, MM Orchestral Conducting 2019
“The amount of experience and practical podium time I was given as a conducting student at the University of Oregon was truly remarkable, and most importantly - it reflected the realities of everyday life as a conductor. There are so many opportunities to conduct at UO as well as the surrounding Eugene community. Dr. Jacobs works tirelessly to help his students understand the art of conducting an orchestra in all its facets, from the practical preparation of parts to bowings, to rehearsing and the concert itself. The education is holistic, rigorous, and jam-packed with opportunities to grow and learn. I enjoyed my time at UO immensely.”
- Evan Harger, MM Orchestral Conducting 2017, ABD Michigan State University, Director of Orchestral Activities at Marywood University and Associate Conductor for the Maryland Chamber Winds; Recently presented at the Oxford International Conducting Studies Conference
"The Orchestral Conducting program at the University of Oregon pairs outstanding education with extraordinary opportunities. Extensive experience on the podium, detailed feedback, and meaningful arts leadership training combine for a holistic approach to teaching the next generation of conductors to direct ensembles at every level. Students have the opportunity to conduct multiple orchestras, engage with new music through the university's composer's forum, and gain invaluable knowledge about everything a conductor does without a baton. In all endeavors, it is the exceptional teaching of Dr. David Jacobs that makes the program a standout in an otherwise crowded field of graduate schools across the country. He is invested in the success of his students, gives detailed and meaningful feedback, and provides individual lessons as well as real-time coaching in front of the ensembles. Dr. Jacobs prepared me for auditions, employment, and a lifetime on the podium. He's the kind of mentor that every aspiring conductor is searching for. After my time in UO's conducting program, I was immediately hired as music director of a small symphony orchestra and shortly thereafter invited to a doctoral program in conducting on a full scholarship. Serving as an assistant conductor for the University of Oregon's orchestras is the kind of rare and rewarding opportunity conductors simply shouldn't overlook."
- Zeke Fetrow, MM Orchestral Conducting 2015, DMA Eastman School of Music 2020