Daewon Kang, a current DMA Orchestral Conducting student studying with Professor Oriol Sans, was selected to participate in Jorma Panula’s Conducting Masterclass in Vaasa, Finland in January 2024.

Only a handful of conductors from around the world are invited to participate in the masterclass. These include winners of the Bucharest International Conducting Competition, finalists of the International Besançon Competition, a kapellmeister (conductor) at the Hannover State Opera in Germany, and the music director of the Washington Opera Society.

Panula’s teaching has nurtured a significant number of prominent conductors throughout his career. His students include Esa-Pekka Salonen, Mikko Franck, Sakari Oramo, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Osmo Vänskä, Hannu Lintu, Susanna Mälkki, Pietari Inkinen, Rolf Gupta, Jukka Iisakkila, Dmitri Slobodeniouk, and Dalia Stasevska ja Klaus Mäkelä.

“It was an immense privilege for me to be chosen to work with Maestro Panula and conduct the Vaasa City Orchestra at the concert, which was held at the historic Vaasa City Hall in Vaasa,” Kang said.