The word interpretation is used constantly in conducting. It assumes that the conductor takes the score and applies their own understanding to it, shaping the music through personal perspective.

I have moved away from that idea.

Interpretation places the individual at the centre of the process, and it can become about preference rather than understanding. The music risks being filtered through what the conductor wants it to be, rather than what it requires.

For me, conducting is about realisation.

The music already carries meaning. It is shaped by the cultural, historical, and musical conditions in which it was created. The task is not to impose meaning onto the score, but to engage with what is already there and bring it into sound with clarity.

This changes the question I am asking.

Not what do I want this to be, but what does this need to be.

That shift affects how I work in rehearsal. Decisions are not based only on personal preference. They are informed by context, by research, and by what is actually happening in the room. I still make decisions, but those decisions are grounded in something beyond the individual.

This reframes the role of the conductor.

I am not delivering a finished interpretation. I am shaping a process in which the music can be realised. That involves guiding the ensemble, making decisions, and maintaining direction, but also listening and responding to what comes back.

This connects directly to facilitation.

The ensemble is part of the process. The outcome is not imposed, it is developed. The conductor leads, but the result is shaped through interaction.

Within culturally informed conducting, this becomes more defined.

Understanding the context of the work informs how it is realised. This affects pacing, phrasing, articulation, and energy. These are not neutral decisions, they are shaped by an awareness of where the music comes from and how it functions.

This is not limited to one repertoire.

All music is shaped by context, whether that context is made explicit or not. The role of the conductor is to recognise that and respond accordingly.

Realisation offers a more accurate way of understanding what the conductor does.

It connects research, rehearsal, and performance. It allows the conductor to lead while remaining responsive to the music, the ensemble, and the conditions in which the work is performed.

Dwight Pile-Gray is a conductor and researcher specialising in culturally informed conducting (CIC).