In cooperation with the National Symphony Orchestra and the American Symphony Orchestra League, Slatkin started the National Conducting Institute, designed to help conductors make the transition from leading student or part-time orchestras to full-time, professional ensembles.

 

“It is one thing for a young conductor to have an opportunity at universities and conservatories to tell other students what to do, but it is quite another matter to direct pros,” Slatkin explained. “We developed a three-week program in which four or five conductors experience the challenge of being confronted by a world-class orchestra.”