Oxford Conducting Institute
Cayenna serves as Conducting Associate and Director of Research at the Oxford Conducting Institute, working closely with its director, Dr John Traill. The Institute supports the development of emerging conductors while fostering dialogue between conducting practice and academic research.
Teaching
Through the Institute, Cayenna leads seminars and masterclasses for conductors at different stages of their development, often in collaboration with ensembles including the Oxfordshire County Youth Orchestra, St Anne’s Camerata, and the City of Southampton Orchestra. These sessions explore conducting technique, rehearsal strategies, and the collaborative dynamics that underpin effective orchestral leadership.
Community Building
Cayenna also leads the Institute’s academic activities. In 2014 she established the Oxford Conducting Institute International Conducting Studies Conference, a biennial series designed to bridge the gap between conducting practice and scholarly research. The conference brings together conductors, performers, scholars, and educators for intensive three-day gatherings that create space for dialogue between practitioners and researchers working in the field. Since its founding, the conference has been hosted at the University of Oxford (2014, 2016), the Sydney Conservatorium of Music (2019), and online (2020), offering a forum to explore new perspectives on conducting as both an artistic practice and a subject of scholarly inquiry. Future editions of the conference are currently in development.
Research emerging from this work contributed to a special issue of Music Performance Research devoted to the field of Conducting Studies. This publication examines the current state of research in the discipline and considers its future directions.