The doctorate aims to display the parallels between leadership and conducting and the level to which they share the same responsibilities and functions. The analysis will be based on audio and video recordings of training sessions of amateur conductors, rehearsals of beginning and professional conductors, and concerts taking place at the Salzburg Festival in the 21st century. This observational data is the core of the PhD and examines the interaction between the conductor and the musicians. For comparative purposes, the analysis of historical video footage of conductors should provide further insights.

Implications

The PhD aims to develop new leadership models or a set of leadership recommendations based on the conductors’ analyzed behavioural patterns and nonverbal communication. At this point, the outcome of the research is still hard to predict as there is barely any scientific evidence of similar projects. Especially for that reason, the lack of previously conducted research in that field presents a big opportunity for this PhD to investigate parallels between music and management that have never been compared before. Therefore, this new approach towards leadership is promising as surprising findings can bring to light a new angle for common leadership practices that might improve them or increase their efficiency. In collaboration with the Royal Academy of Music and other Swiss music conservatories, the doctorate furthermore promotes the academic discourse between leading institutions within Europe and creates a foundation for future interdisciplinary research or interfaculty collaboration.