Women who lead: CCM alumna wins La Maestra conducting competition
Three of the 12 final candidates in the international competition were CCM alumnae
Story by CCM Graduate Student Alexandra Doyle
Rebecca Tong (MM Orchestral Conducting, ‘14) won the first-ever La Maestra competition, a women-only international orchestral conducting contest hosted by the Philharmonie de Paris and the Paris Mozart Orchestra. She was awarded the French Concert Halls and Orchestras prize, worth 20,000 euros, as well as the Arte prize.
“The competition was a great opportunity, and being able to make music again after six months of COVID-19 was an overwhelming joy,” says Tong, who expressed surprise that she won in a competition so full of professional prowess.
“The candidates are all very qualified and talented musicians. It is indeed a tough competition, but we all felt very close to each other. There was harmony and solidarity amongst us, which is very rare in competitions.”
Rebecca Tong at the La Maestra competition. Photo by Masha Mosconi.
Out of over 200 applicants, 12 conductors made it to the La Maestra competition, including three CCM alumnae: Tong, Maria Fuller (MM Orchestral Conducting, ’19; AD Opera Coaching, ’17; MM Piano Performance, ‘15) and Jiajing Lai (MM Orchestral Conducting, ‘15). Lai also advanced to the semi-final round.
“It is a proud moment for CCM to be represented by three candidates out of 12. All I can share was my experience with [Director of Orchestral Studies at CCM] Mark Gibson and the discipline he put on his students — discipline in knowing your music, dedicating hour after hour to study and research and develop musicianship,” said Tong.
According to the La Maestra website, only 4% of conductors programmed by French musical institutions are women. In all of Europe, 6% of guest conductors are women. Through its competition, the organization aims to shine the brightest of lights on the outstanding talents of the many women conductors who are too often denied the visibility they deserve.
“It is true that the conducting field is mainly still dominated by men, but as we can see, the field is changing. The fact that there were 220 applicants means that there are many women conductors out there that are waiting to be exposed,” said Tong.
“I really do hope that in 10 to15 years we no longer have these conversations about whether you are a female or male conductor; we are all musicians, and gender should not be an issue.”
Tong currently lives in the United Kingdom, where she holds a fellowship with Askonas Holt. She was recently a Junior Fellow in Conducting at the Royal Northern College of Music. Tong is the resident conductor of the Jakarta Simfonia Orchestra and the founder of the Jakarta Christian Youth Orchestra. She hopes to continue building up the classical music scene in her home country of Indonesia, where she is planning to start a contemporary ensemble very soon.
Watch the top three finalists compete in the La Maestra competition; Tong's performance begins at the 52:00 minute mark.
Rebecca Tong. Photo/Provided by Rebecca Tong.
A native Indonesian of Chinese descent, Rebecca Tong is the Resident Conductor of Jakarta Simfonia Orchestra. A Master’s Graduate in Orchestral Conducting at CCM under Mark Gibson, Tong recently completed her two-year tenure as Junior Fellow in Conducting at the Royal Northern College of Music, where she worked extensively in assisting the BBC Philharmonic and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition, Tong frequently collaborates with the Hallé Orchestra and Manchester Camerata.
Tong was recently awarded First Prize, French Concert Halls and Orchestras Prize and the Arte Prize at the inaugural La Maestra Competition 2020. Further notable achievements include the 2019 Taki Award for the Taki Concordia Conducting Fellowship (which grants the opportunity to work closely with Marin Alsop), participating as a Conducting Fellow at the 2018 Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music (mentored by Cristian Măcelaru), and in 2017, Tong was awarded the David Effron Conducting Fellowship for the Chautauqua Institution. She has participated in master classes with Sir Mark Elder, Leon Fleischer, Mark Shanahan, Clark Rundell and Mark Heron and many other distinguished conductors.
In 2011, Tong founded the Jakarta Christian Youth Orchestra, and between 2009 and 2012 served as music faculty of International Reformed Evangelical Seminary. Growing up in a musical family, Tong’s musical experiences stemmed from a very young age, and she is continually fascinated by connecting communities through music.
The Philharmonie de Paris and Paris Mozart Orchestra’s first edition of their joint International Competition for Women Conductors took place at the Philharmonie de Paris from Sept. 15-18, 2020.
This new competition was co-directed by Claire Gibault, Music Director of the Paris Mozart Orchestra, and Laurent Bayle, President and General Manager of the Philharmonie de Paris. Ewa Bogusz-Moore, General and Programme Director of the National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, chaired a strictly gender equality-based international and prestigious jury composed of six of the world’s leading women and men conductors.
Today, no permanent state-funded French orchestra can boast a female music director. According to a recent study, only 4% of conductors programmed by French musical institutions are women. The situation is no better in Europe, where only 6% of guest conductors are women. Few women candidates are selected by existing conducting competitions. Similarly, very few women appear on selection panels and juries. These figures and facts speak for themselves. There are already growing signs of a welcome shift away from traditional attitudes and prejudices, but La Maestra believes the time has come for truly bold and powerful statements to influence, inspire and drive change.
Aimed at gifted professionals, the International Competition for Women Conductors showcased 12 candidates of the highest caliber, following a carefully-managed selection process. The competition awarded several financial prizes, professional engagements, as well as career support.
In the wake of the Philharmonie’s 2018 Platform for Young Women Conductors, the orchestra’s efforts inevitably turned to the creation of a prestigious international competition acknowledging, discovering, celebrating and supporting the world’s most talented women conductors.
This competition provides a high-profile platform and shines the brightest of lights on the outstanding talents of the many women conductors who are too often denied the visibility they deserve. It offers younger generations inspiring role models and encourages a new confidence in true vocational choices. Organizers call upon programmers and musical institutions worldwide to grasp the Zeitgeist and draw upon a pool of talents more representative of society’s diversity.
The repertoire for each stage of the competition included masterworks from the 18th to the 20th century, as well as new commissions by two contemporary composers. Its aim was to highlight each candidate’s artistic individuality.
Feature image at the top: The women of the La Maestra competition. Photo by Masha Mosconi.
Alexandra Doyle
CCM Graduate Assistant , Marketing + Communications
Alexandra Doyle is a doctoral candidate studying clarinet performance at CCM. Alexandra’s master’s degree is also from CCM, and she holds bachelor’s degrees in clarinet performance and journalism from the University of Houston.
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