Finding the next superstar conductor: A unique competition at the Salzburg Festival

They are among the most exciting young talents of their generation and they have the chance of a lifetime. A handful of young conductors are invited to the Herbert von Karajan Young Conductors Award. In this episode of Musica, we find out what inspires them, what their ambitions are and how they prepare for this unique competition.

The young Austrian conductor Tobias Wögerer originally started playing the cello but discovered his passion for conducting during his time in high school. Back then he started to lead the school choir and orchestra.

"Conducting is my dream job because it is a vocation on the one hand and a profession on the other," Tobias told Musica. "It’s something that stays with you all your life. You are never finished. You're always learning, always learning more."

“I just tried to create opportunities for myself in the beginning, where I could try things out [...] You have to find a few crazy people at the beginning who say 'okay, I'll let you try it out' and then you can just jump in at the deep end. Conducting is something you learn, it's just like an instrument. You need the instrument to develop further. In conducting, the instrument is actually the orchestra.” 

Salzburg is a magnet for the world’s greatest performers, and the Salzburg Festival hosts a unique competition: the prestigious Herbert von Karajan Young Conductors Award. Tobias has been invited with seven other candidates to the semi-finals.

"I dreamt of participating here for a very long time," said candidate Anna Handler. "Since I received the invitation, I've tried everything to prepare in the best possible way."

"If the Salzburg Festival organises it then what could be better? I always wanted to participate but have always felt like I'm