WoCo (Women Conductors programme)
In a recent count, only two professional orchestras in the UK were led by women conductors, and nearly 90% of conductors in the UK were men. Those are some pretty uneven numbers. WoCo (Women Conductors programme) is working to make them right.
Thanks to WoCo, established in 2014 by conductor Alice Farnham, more than 500 women conductors have had the chance to grow their skills, experience, and connections – putting them on the path to better opportunities.
A new partnership in 2021 between The Glasshouse, Royal Northern Sinfonia and the Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) brought the next big female conducting talents from the UK and Ireland to the North East.
Starting with a two-day pilot at The Glasshouse, a cohort of seven brilliant women, Constança Simas, Charlotte Corderoy, Lada Valesova, Helen Harrison, Hannah von Wiehler, Rita Castro Blanco and Tess Jackson, stepped up to the podium for WoCo.
Over several two-day courses in our building between January 2022 and June 2023, they spent time working with the orchestra and getting a ton of feedback from the players. Coaching came from Alice, along with guidance in getting professional work. We’re proud to be playing a part in that.
For 2024/25, we say hello to five new conductors ready to make their mark on WoCo.
Josephine Korda, Michal Oren, Oi Ching Chan, Peggy Wu and Sinéad Hayes join the original group of Constança Simas, Charlotte Corderoy, Lada Valesova and Tess Jackson. As the programme grows, it’s still grounded in quality rehearsal time with Royal Northern Sinfonia and mentoring from Alice.
WoCo Phase 2 - January 2024
Meet the conductors 2022/23
Constança Simas
“I started conducting in the Bachelor of Orchestral Conducting in Lisbon in 2013, and I was amazed at the infinite possibilities to interpret orchestral music.
“It’s important that I create new ways of reaching diverse audiences, so while studying at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, I tried to produce shows that connected with everyone.
“In 2021, I conducted the Southbank Sinfonia and the Welsh National Opera orchestra. I was a part of the Young Women Opera Makers residency of the Festival Aix-en-Provence and a fellow of the Georgia Symphony Orchestra programme in Atlanta until July 2022.”
Charlotte Corderoy
“My journey began as an undergraduate Organ Scholar. A love of people and a desire to understand how music fits into their lives drew me to conducting.
“At university, I won the Conducting Scholarship of Schola Cantorum, the university’s premier chamber choir. I was appointed Principal Conductor of the Oxford University Philharmonia and the Musical Director of the Oxford Contemporary Opera Society.
“After graduating, I spent a year working at Charterhouse School, as I’m especially passionate about working with young people. Recently, the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence invited me to participate in the Young Women Opera Makers residency.”
Hannah von Wiehler
“I was studying violin performance at Moscow’s Tchaikovsky Conservatory when a wrist injury forced me to step away from the violin in 2011.
“I chose to study languages and literature at Georgetown University. Through a bizarre turn of events, I became a personal assistant to one of the world’s greatest conductors, Valery Gergiev.
“I realised my injury was an opportunity: I needed to be a conductor. I moved to the UK to pursue a doctorate at Oxford while learning to conduct. Within 18 months of picking up a baton, I had a contract with a professional orchestra. I also founded an orchestra, which I continue to steer.”
Helen Harrison
“As a comprehensive school student brought up in Lancashire, music opened up life-changing possibilities.
“After reading Music at Cambridge University, where I conducted the College orchestra, I pursued a career in the corporate sector but didn’t feel true to myself.
“I accepted the role of Music Director of Young Sinfonia (Royal Northern Sinfonia’s youth orchestra) in 2022, and alongside guest conducting engagements, I am the Music Director for Blackpool Symphony Orchestra, Preston Opera and Lytham Choral Society.”
Lada Valesova
“I got bitten by the conducting bug after years of being a pianist, chamber music player, vocal coach, music director and educator. When the moment of ignition arrived, I set out to bring together my skills and experience to date and to channel them into conducting.
“Opera Holland Park [OHP] gave me my first assistantship in Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta. I also debuted conducting in Le Nozze di Figaro with OHP Young Artists and the City of London Sinfonia.
“I’ve assisted in the production of Tosca at the Royal Opera House, with more opera-conducting engagements coming in the future.”
Rita Castro Blanco
There’s still so much I want to achieve, learn and share with other musicians on my journey to become a conductor.
“After completing my conservatoire studies as a violinist, I switched to the baton and completed a Bachelor’s degree in Orchestral Conducting at Academia Nacional Superior de Orquestra. I obtained a Master of Music in Performance degree from the Royal Northern College of Music.
“Recently, I have been developing my interest in opera and contemporary music, leading me to participating in the Women Conductor’s Mentorship at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence and the Conducting Fellowship at the Lucerne Festival.”
Tess Jackson
“My musical journey started as a violinist and pianist, but I picked up a baton at school and quickly realised that that is where my passion lies.
“During my undergraduate degree at Cambridge University, I was Principal Conductor of the Cambridge University Sinfonia and the Cambridge Graduate Orchestra.
“To help bring opera to new audiences, I was Musical Director for the Cambridge University Opera Society’s [CUOS] production of The Last Hotel by Donnacha Dennehy: a contemporary multimedia opera and the first by a living professional composer to be staged by CUOS in 45 years.”
Meet the conductors 2024/25
Josephine Korda
“As a choral and instrumental scholar, I hold a BA(Hons) in Music from the University of Oxford. In 2021, I graduated with Perfectionnement in Conducting and Composition from the École Normale de Musique de Paris. In 2022, I gained the Advanced Certificate in Contemporary Repertoire from the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana under Arturo Tamayo.
I founded the Paris Sinfonia and Oxford’s Occasional Orchestra. I’ve conducted The Hallé, Philharmonia Orchestra, Manchester Camerata and many more. I regularly assist the BBC and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic on behalf of the Royal Northern College of Music.
Previously, I was the Trainee Female Conductor at Opera North (2022-23) and Assistant Conductor at the Opera de Massy, Paris (2020-21). This year, I’m the Cover Conductor for Northern Ballet.”
Michal Oren
“My musical journey began in childhood when I discovered a deep passion for playing the recorder and the clarinet. As a teenager, my curiosity for the world of conducting grew strong.
I completed bachelor’s degrees in orchestral conducting and clarinet performance at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music, Tel Aviv. I am pursuing a master’s degree in orchestral conducting with a full scholarship at the Royal College of Music.
Last September, I won the 1st prize in the 4th International Academy and Competition of Orchestra Conducting in Estoril, Portugal, and will return as a guest conductor next season. I founded and am the musical curator of an in-house museum orchestra, collaborating with the Petach-Tikva Museum of Art in Israel.”
Oi Ching Chan
“I’ve had an incredible adventure to date. I started as a cellist, and I didn’t think about being a conductor until I debuted at 17 with my school orchestra consisting of 100 players. This experience ignited my interest in conducting, a passion that never wavered.
Before coming to the UK for my master’s degree, I was an orchestra librarian and a youth orchestra conductor. These diverse experiences deepened my understanding of the conductor’s responsibilities on and off the podium.
I’ve met remarkable individuals who have continuously inspired me to strive for excellence. I find joy in using music to connect people and create memorable experiences.”
Peggy Wu
“During my time as a pianist at the Royal College of Music, a friend asked me to lead an amateur orchestra rehearsal. I vividly recall the exhilaration of standing in front of the orchestra, and this experience ignited my passion for conducting.
I continued as the principal conductor of the St. Bartholomew’s Chamber Orchestra from 2019 to 2022. My passion for opera led me to assist Sian Edwards on the world premiere of Lliam Patterson’s Catriona and the Dragon. I also assisted on the British Youth Opera production of Vaughan-Williams’ Pilgrim’s Progress.
I am pursuing a Master’s in Conducting at the the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. With their support, I’ve worked with prominent orchestras such as the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, and the Orchestra of Scottish Opera.”
Sinéad Hayes
“I am an Irish conductor and have worked for the past ten seasons with Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble in Belfast and conducted numerous world premieres by Irish and international composers.
I started as a violinist and pianist but veered off to study structural engineering. In London, I enrolled in the Morley College Conducting course. On my first day conducting an orchestra, the switch flicked. I went on to gain my BMus in violin and composition at City University. I then won a place on the MMus in conducting at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, financing my master’s degree with a final summer of freelance engineering work.
I returned to Ireland in 2018, and since then, I have conducted productions for the Northern Ireland Opera, Opera Collective Ireland, Irish National Opera and the Royal Irish Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra.”
