I have just recently returned from a most rewarding conducting journey. I was one of three conductors invited to a masterclass with maestro Esa-Pekka Salonen in Singapore! The orchestra which we conducted was a combination of orchestras from three different countries with musicians from the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory in Singapore, the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, and the Guildhall School of Music in London.
After, maestro Salonen worked on Debussy's La Mer with us and this international student orchestra, as part of the Singapore Sun Festival we were then able to watch him conducting La Mer with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
The orchestra was fantastic and the people were very friendly. I especially enjoyed making friends with the locals from Singapore and sampling their wide variety of Asian cuisine. But to top it all, right after conducting, I was on a beautiful beach at the southernmost point of continental Asia.! Paradise :-)
If only the world were full of places with beautiful weather all year round, sunny beaches, and first-class orchestras. Anyone have any suggestions? ...
