Conducting is a profession of lifelong learning: Vasily Petrenko on nurturing talent & broadening horizons

Vasily Petrenko’s Academy for Young Conductors in Yerevan, Armenia (Photo: © Primavera Foundation of Armenia)

Vasily Petrenko’s Academy for Young Conductors takes place each year in Yerevan, Armenia. The Academy brings together Vasily Petrenko, Music Director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and a select group of emerging conductors from around the world for an intensive week of masterclasses, individual tuition and orchestral work with the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra. This year, the orchestra marks its centennial anniversary, making the 2026 edition a particularly significant occasion. 

Following the success of his 2026 Academy for Young Conductors, Vasily Petrenko reflects on what it takes to shape the next generation of conductors – and what he wishes he’d been taught in his early years.

“This week, as I wrapped up the Academy for Young Conductors in the Armenian capital of Yerevan for another year, I was struck by a recurring thought: I wish something like this had been organised when I was a student conductor. The moments I have seen across the last four days when Academy participants were able to ask questions openly and get proper answers would have been immensely valuable to me as a developing conductor – they might even have cut my journey of musical development significantly shorter. That’s what the Academy for Young Conductors is about: using what I’ve learned over decades of experience on the conductor’s podium to nurture young conductors and support their growth. Not everyone has to learn ‘the hard way’.

“Since we launched the Academy in 2024, recognition of the programme has grown – we received applications from 22 countries this year – and the support we offer has grown with it. Participants on the 2026 programme rehearsed with the National Philharmonic Orchestra who co-organised the course alongside the Primavera Foundation Armenia and I. We have been working together across the last two years (and beyond) to help young musicians develop and progress to next stage of their career – and, ultimately, their life.

Vasily Petrenko (Photo: Ben Wright)

“In today’s world, there is unfortunately not enough attention paid to culture and, because of that, budgets tighten and it is more and more difficult for orchestras and concert organisations to take risks. These organisations, therefore, end up offering fewer and fewer chances for the young conductors. My Academy offers a rare chance for developing conductors to be gain visibility on the world stage here in Armenia.

“As well as supporting the country’s future conductors, the Academy works to nurture Armenia’s audiences of tomorrow too, with the Academy’s gala concert free to attend and specifically aimed at young people. We feel the future generation is key to promoting classical music, promoting conducting – and music – as a career.

“The Academy’s deep roots in Armenia are hugely significant – both for me as a conductor, and for what we’re able to offer. I first visited the country in the 1980s and was immediately struck by the warmth and hospitality of its people. This year, five out of six Academy participants were visiting Armenia for the first time, so the Primavera Foundation Armenia organised a sightseeing tour – it was all they talked about the following day.

“For me, travel has always been a source of enrichment for both my cultural understanding and my musical development: beyond the notes, a conductor has to learn a lot about context and history. We learn about each composer’s life, when each piece was written, why it was written, what the composers wanted to say – not just musically, but philosophically and historically. I began travelling at a very young age, first in a boys’ choir, and then later on as a singer and a conductor. To me, every trip was a chance for me to reach other cultures, see other traditions, other ways of life. This diversity of cultures in the world is what makes our planet so unique. I hope travel has enriched this year’s Academy participants too. As well as their experience with a professional orchestra and my advice, what I hope participants take away from their time at the academy is a piece of the culture of Armenia – and of its rich cultural and classical heritage – and I hope they will share it with the world.

“Conducting is a profession of lifelong learning. Every day we’re trying to be better than yesterday, and through the Academy for Young Conductors we’re working to make that learning process easier to progress through. Since our launch in 2024, our goals have remained the same – but we now have a clearer vision of how we can support even more young musicians.

“In the future, I would like our programme to grow into a wider Academy for young musicians and perhaps even a festival, something like Verbier, Aspen or Tanglewood. With our committed co-organisers, and talented participants – particularly those hailing from Armenia – it’s just a matter of time.”