Rehearsal is often treated as a place where problems are solved. If something is wrong, the conductor stops, gives some direction, and then the ensemble adjusts. This does work, but it only takes you so far. My view is that rehearsals are a relational space where the conditions for performance are created. It is not where the music is performed, it is where I prepare the ensemble to perform it.
Of course, structure still matters. Rehearsal needs direction, and time needs to be used properly. Decisions need to be clear because without clarity things are not settled. However, structure by itself is not enough. What matters is the relationship between conductor and ensemble. I am not there just to instruct, I am there to guide, to listen, and to respond. Rehearsal should be two-way, an exchange where the ensemble is not just receiving information, they are reacting to it, shaping it, and feeding it back. That changes how I communicate. It is not constant talking, it is knowing when to speak and when to leave space. Too much, I close the space down, not enough, then the rehearsal loses direction. The balance between the two matters, and listening becomes as important as directing. I need to hear what is actually happening, not what I think should be happening. This allows me to respond appropriately and connects to how I see my role.
I am a facilitator, not imposing a finished version of the piece, I am creating the conditions for the ensemble to arrive at something together. This still requires leadership, but it changes how that leadership is used, with trust built through clarity. If my gesture is clear and my intention is consistent, the ensemble knows what is expected. That allows them to engage, and when players feel that clarity, they take ownership of the music.
Within culturally informed conducting, this becomes more focused. The ensemble is not only working with notes, they are also engaging with context, meaning, and character. That shapes how the music is played and how it is understood. Rehearsal is not where I try to manufacture emotion, it is where I prepare the conditions for it. If the structure is clear, if the ensemble is connected, and if the context is understood, the performance has something behind it.
Dwight Pile-Gray is a conductor and researcher specialising in culturally informed conducting (CIC).
