Quotes
"To work with Denise makes any musician aware of the necessity of obtaining the maximum using the minimum, by using with precision the conductor's gesture. The goal is to be understood with a technique that is extremely natural and very convincing. Without doubt I recommend to any professional musician interested in the art of conducting to achieve it from the wise teaching of Denise Ham."
Eduardo Lopez Banzo, Conductor
"Denise Ham is a remarkably clear and constructive teacher of conducting. Her formidably attentive eye is coupled with a patience that makes lessons truly enjoyable."
Nicholas Kok, Conductor
"I am taking the liberty of writing to tell you how much I am enjoying your DVD. The way you present one of the most subtle and complicated arts is efficient, clear, straightforward, cheerful and simply very inspiring. Thank you for such a great contribution to the pedagogics of conducting."
Patrick Ayrton - Tutor of thorough-bass, chamber music and improvisation, Early Music Department, Royal Conservatory, The Hague
"Denise was truly an exceptional teacher that influenced my life in many ways. With her I discovered a real and unique conducting technique that has been helpful through my entire career. She helped me grow as conductor and musician and I am deeply grateful to her for everything I learnt."
Octavio Mas-Arocas - Winner, Thelma A. Robinson Conducting Award from Conductors Guild
“The work of Denise Ham is well known for its scope and magnitude. She is a remarkable teacher for orchestral conductors and has a profound knowledge of the technique. She is an accomplished pedagogue, teaching with unique precision and clarity and she has a great artistic and musical gift. Her work encompasses rigorous control of gesture through interpretation of the entire symphonic repertoire.”
Laurence Equilby, conductor
“Speaking as a professional violist of 40 years, it is all too often true that the weakest link in the team of composer, conductor and ensemble is on the rostrum. Having had the good fortune early on of being trained by Leon Barzin in the National Orchestral Association (NOA) in New York, I learned the immense value of the “Singing Stick” technique of the Toscanini/Barzin method. Acquiring the essential skills to conduct is no easy task. Virtually everyone I spoke to advised me to go to Denise for instruction, and I feel very lucky to have found one of the world’s finest pedagogues. Her immense patience and her keen analysis of exactly what each pupil needs is very rare. I cannot say enough about the value of her teaching and my admiration for her abilities.”
Bruce Whitson, Associate-principal violist of the Philharmonic of South Westphalia; Principal Conductor of Collegium Musicum, Siegen; Professor at the University of Siegen
Denise Ham
GTCL, LTCL, ARCM, Hon ARAM is one of Europe's foremost teachers of
conducting, much in demand as a director of courses and workshops.
Former tutor in conducting at the Royal Academy of Music in London and at the internationally renowned George Hurst Conductors’ Course at Sherborne Summer School of Music, she has also trained and conducted orchestras in the UK and Europe.
