CA Director Jonathan Brett made his conducting debut at age 20 with the music of Beethoven—a composer who remained at the heart of his repertoire, most notably during his 30-year tenure as Artistic Director of the English Classical Players.
To mark the 200th anniversary of the year of Beethoven’s death, we are offering online study sessions on the nine symphonies on the third Saturday of each month, from March to November 2027 (14:00 UK time).
This is essential music for the aspiring conductor to understand, the absolute pinnacle of the repertoire, providing the most solid context from which to understand everything else.
Each interactive session focuses on one of Beethoven’s symphonies. By analyzing these masterpiece scores, you’ll gain deep conceptual insights, understand the essential technical tools, and develop clear, practical understanding to help navigate any score with confidence.
As well as a worksheet for each symphony, the materials for this programme will include live performance videos of Jonathan Brett conducting the English Classical Players (symphonies nos 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) plus audio recordings (symphonies 7 and 9). They will also include persual of autograph scores as well as Jonathan Brett’s own scores.
Completion of the Better Conducting course is recommended as preparation for these classes – and a requirement for those seeking to join the programme at the reduced price for scholarship holders.
All participants should have their own score for each symphony. Our recommendation is the Bärenreiter edition and scores will be available to participants with a 15% discount.
Dates & Times
N.B. All times are for London, UK.
- Saturday 20 March 2027 at 14:00 – Symphony No 1
- Saturday 17 April 2027 at 14:00 – Symphony No 2
- Saturday 15 May 2027 at 14:00 – Symphony No 3
- Saturday 19 June 2027 at 14:00 – Symphony No 4
- Saturday 17 July 2027 at 14:00 – Symphony No 5
- Saturday 21 August 2027 at 14:00 – Symphony No 6
- Saturday 18 September 2027 at 14:00 – Symphony No 7
- Saturday 16 October 2027 at 14:00 – Symphony No 8
- Saturday 20 November 2027 at 14:00 – Symphony No 9
Fees
£400.00 (or nine monthly instalments of £50.00 using the payment code BEETHOVEN9 before 1 January 2027).
Scholarships
Full members and all participants of the Audite International Masterclass or the Better Conducting programme pay only £90.00 for this class.
To apply to join our scholarship programmes click here for a scholarship application form.