Conductors
The conductors of the workshops are:
1. Marion Bluthard
Conductor Marion was born in 1970 in Stuttgart. She started a study musicology and philosophy at the Eberhard Karls University in Tübingen. After that she studied at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Stuttgart choir and orchestra conducting with singing and bassoon as minor subjects. Marion was conducting member of Ensemble Interferenz (contemporary music). From 1988 till 2002 Marion studied conducting (choir and orchestra) in Amsterdam with Daniel Reuss, Jos Vermunt, Roland Kieft en Lucas Vis.
In 2006 she wrote a composition for symphonic orchestra (Mozïek1). Toonkunst Bussum gave her this assignment after she had written numerous orchestrations and adaptations. Marion won prizes with her compositions and adaptations as the third prize of the prestigious Concours Européen de Choeurs et Maîtrises du Festival des Cathédrales de Picardie.
Marion made a whole new version of Les Indes Galantes of Jean Philippe Rameau, the original music played by a baroque ensemble but in a modern production with modern contemporary dances, like HipHop. Marion is conductor of several orchestras and choirs in the Netherlands.
2. Cathal Garvey
Cathal Garvey studied in Cork and Moscow. He began his career as chorus master for most of Ireland’s major opera companies, including Opera Ireland, Opera Theatre Company, Anna Livia Opera Festival, Lyric Opera and Opera South, working on over fifty productions. He regularly conducted the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Orchestra of St Cecilia, Dublin Symphony Orchestra and the Dublin Baroque Players. Between 2001 and 2009 he was principal conductor of the Dublin Orchestral Players and Dun Laoghaire Choral Society.
Cathal moved to the UK to work for Grange Park Opera, and has subsequently conducted London International Orchestra, Southern Sinfonia, Covent Garden Chamber Orchestra, Charivari Agréable, London Repertoire Orchestra, Leicester Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of the Reform, Isle of Wight Symphony Orchestra, Winchester Symphony Orchestra, Bedfordshire Symphony Orchestra, I Maestri, BYMT Staff Orchestra, London Medical Orchestra, London Repertoire Orchestra, and Morley College Choir. He successively held the posts of Musical Director of Newbury, Billingshurst, and Wokingham Choral Societies.
He was also founder and artistic director of the Ulysses Symphony Orchestra, with which he toured China in 2016/17. He is currently Musical Director of Reading Symphony Orchestra.
As a violinist, Cathal has played with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, the National Youth Orchestra of Ireland and the Philharmonia of the Nations, among many others.
Cathal teaches orchestral conducting at the Royal Academy of Music, and in 2019 was appointed Honorary Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (HonARAM).
4. David Ramael
Maestro, Trailblazer, and Adventure Enthusiast
Meet David Ramael: the maestro who’s redefining what it means to lead an orchestra in the 21st century. As the founder and artistic director of Boho Strings — a trailblazing string orchestra based in Borgerhout — David has made it his mission to prove that classical music can be innovative, socially relevant, and, dare we say, a little fun (powdered wigs not included).
With Boho Strings, David has crafted a unique artistic vision that marries musical excellence with thought-provoking storytelling. Under his direction, the ensemble has premiered and championed works by contemporary composers like Wim Henderickx, Salim Dada, and Nabil Benabdeljalil, while breathing new life into classical masterworks. Boho Strings’ performances have graced major stages in Belgium and beyond, earning critical acclaim for their artistry, emotional depth, and dynamic programming. In 2018, the ensemble released its debut album, Nostalgia, featuring Henderickx’s music, which Gramophone Magazine praised as “unmatched in its dynamism and unanimity of response.”
And then there’s the David who steps off the podium. Open rehearsals, pre-concert chats, and post-show mingles are part of his signature approach to breaking down barriers between artists and audiences. But what truly sets David apart is his commitment to making music resonate far beyond the concert hall. Through Boho Strings’ Be A He(a)ro initiative, he has expanded the orchestra’s impact to address pressing societal challenges, from mental well-being and suicide prevention to Parkinson’s disease. For David, music isn’t just a performance; it’s a force for connection and positive change.
5. Martin Studer
Has an outstanding reputation as a conductor and as a personality, top motivator and talent manager with great enthusiasm, outstanding motivational skills, a wide range of interests and as a specialised generalist with profound knowledge in numerous fields. In over 35 years, he has also made an excellent name for himself as an artist and doer in the field of cultural and concert organisation as well as in the promotion and mediation of young musicians.
Has won numerous prizes at home and abroad. Has founded and developed numerous ensembles and institutions since 1990 (including the New Zurich Orchestra, Alumni & Symphony Orchestra University of Bern, Swiss Music Festival Weeks, Swiss Philharmonic Academy). Since 2015 also CEO of ‘Lebensschule durch Musik’ (LSM).
In addition to his work as a guest conductor with renowned professional orchestras in Switzerland and abroad, the promotion of young musicians and people with disabilities has always been a central concern of his multifaceted work.
In 2020, Martin Studer was awarded a recognition prize for his tireless work and promotion of young musical talent, including with the NZO by the Canton of Zurich's Department of Culture. More information: see among others at: www.martinstudermusik.ch
6. Jules Cavalié
While studying music at the University of London, Jules Cavalié tried out conducting by gathering friends in an orchestra. Since then, he studied musicology in Paris (CNSMDP) and conducting (CRR 93). During his studies he developed a special interest in operatic repertoire conducting for instance Puccini’s Suor Angelica as well as many opera scenes. As a musicologist, he specialized in the Parisian musical life during the Belle époque, specifically Italian presences in the French capital.
After his studies, along conducting Jules developed as a writer – music critique and journalist – collaborating with many musical institutions across Europe (Luxembourg, Geneva…) and France. In 2022, he became chief editor of French journal Avant-Scène Opéra.
Since 2022, Jules Cavalié has been a regular guest of Parisian orchestra Orchestre Impromptu, conducting Brahms and Tchaikovsky as well Mozart and Elgar. He regularly conducts student orchestras and choirs.
In 2024 with stage director Anne-Joëlle Fleury he founded La Chambre lyrique, a company dedicated to small scale opera performances. Their first production is planned for March 2025 with Puccini’s La Rondine.
7. Walter Crippa
Walter studied trumpet in Italy with Luciano Marconcini and Ermes Giussani, and orchestra conducting with Yoichi Sugiyama, graduating in trumpet at the Conservatory L.Marenzio (Brescia) and obtaining a Diploma in Music Direction for Wind Ensemble at the Associated Board of Royal Schools of Music (London).
He attended masterclasses both in trumpet (Andrea Giuffredi, Giuliano Sommerhalder and Reinhold Friedrich) and conducting (Ronald Johnson, Daniel Galyen and Felix Hauswirth).
Walter played the role of Principal Trumpet in several Italian Orchestras, chamber ensembles and Big Bands. He is a member of baroque, classical and jazz ensembles and is the founder of EBQ Enarmo Brass Quintet (Italy).
He is active as an orchestra conductor and is experienced in the symphonic and film music repertoires. In 2017, he led the Film Music Workshop of the National Festival of Amateur Orchestras in Fossano (Piemonte-Italy) organized by Fedioram (Italian Federation of Amateur Orchestras). He conducts the OSDM Orchestra Sinfonica di Bergamo (Lombardy-Italy) and the BMB Big Band.
Since 1998, Walter is a lively and dynamic founder of many amateur orchestras and chamber ensembles in symphonic, film music and jazz fields, and is a free-lance arranger and orchestrator.
9. Gerhart Drijvers
Originally a horn player, Gerhart Drijvers discovered a love of conducting. He holds several conducting qualifications: HaFa (1999); orchestra conducting with VU University Amsterdam's Symphony Orchestra, graduating cum laude; and a Masters in orchestra conducting with Das Philharmonisches Orchester (Hagen, Germany).
Besides his positions as a conductor with several orchestra's Gerhart develops musical theatre for which he arranges the music (Punch and the Songfestival, Sinterklaas the true story) and he was the musical director of Productiehuis Alphen's Christmas production 'Scrooge and Marley'. Since 2013 he conducts the bi-annual concerts of the Mattheus Passion, also in Alphen aan den Rijn.
In his home city Gerhart is a member of Couleur Locale, a group of musicians who play chamber music in surprising combinations. For their programmes he arranged music for piano, guitar, violin/voice, recorder and horn, but also for two guitars, violin/voice, flute and horn and several other combinations.
For the orchestra in which he holds a position as a hornplayer Gerhart arranged the music for educational concerts: Imad (about a little boy refugee, for narrator, violin, oboe and guitar) and Romeo & Julia (for brass ensemble and 3 actors/singers) and Saul says sorry (for narrator, orchestra and 4 singers).