45th International Viola Congress 2018

This workshop focuses on career planning challenges for college (conservatory) students, in particular string (viola) players. The workshop has previously been given successfully at e.g. the Juillliard school (NY).

Topics to be addressed:

    What is musical entrepreneurship?
    How does entrepreneurship relate specifically to violists embarking on careers?
    How do participants define their ideal musical world?
    How does this world view correlate to the participants' mission?
    How can we write/articulate a personal mission? How do we reach this understanding?
    Define your audience
    How to consider new vehicles to advance your musical ideas
    Ways and means to brainstorm with likeminded musicians
    Tips as to how to approach traditional career moves such as orchestral auditions

Combining academic disciplines with music performance and journalism at the professional level, Heather has performed with leading orchestras in the Netherlands and at international summer music festivals. At present, she is a lecturer at the University of Amsterdam Law School, performs internationally (orchestral violinist) and serves as panelist at conferences on labor law and music worldwide. Starting her journalistic career at the Yale Daily News, she served as Corresponding Editor and correspondent at Strad Magazine (London) for over two decades. She is an active blogger @violinist.com and a welcome lecturer/panelist/juror at music competitions and festivals in Europe and the United States. A graduate of Yale University and the University of Amsterdam Law School, Heather's present research centers on comparative employment/labor law issues in the orchestral field.