Like Practicing Your Driving Skills In A Ferrari

One of the toughest things about being a young conductor is finding opportunities to learn the craft in front of a real, high-quality orchestra. So a spot at the National Symphony’s annual National Conducting Institute, where participants get to spend three weeks learning from one of America’s top orchestra and its music director, Leonard Slatkin, has become one of the most sought-after privileges for up-and-coming conductors.