Michel Podolak
Michel Podolak, conductor and chorus master, was trained at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, at the Sorbonne, as well as in the United States at the Pierre Monteaux School. Laureate of the Mehunin Foundation, Michel Podolak has headed, among others, the Symphony Orchestra of the Center Region/Tours, the Lamoureux orchestra, the 2E2M ensemble, the Orchestre de Bohême, the National Orchestra of Ile de France and has conducted all over the world. He was the musical director for the "Chorus and Orchestra of the Grands Ecoles" for 3 seasons and has also worked in opera.
In 1991, following one of his concerts, a personal development trainer suggested that Michel should study the link between management and conducting an orchestra. Since then he has been invited as a conductor to present, share and talk about what being a conductor means and what the audience doesn´t see; the ability of orchestras to play by themselves, the musician/conductor dialogue and the real mission of the conductor in terms of what the orchestra members expect. The values the musicians bring, from listening to expression, from individual excellence to group performance, from the discipline and the rigor to the commitment of the artists and the emotion of the audience. These very issues lie at the heart of managers´ concerns, from small business owners to executives in multinationals. They are looking more and more for an outside perspective on developing activities to increase their employees´ wellbeing, their creativity and consequently their performance and company loyalty.
Although initially regarded as entertainment, it has now become incredibly popular and is regularly incorporated as an essential supplement in personal development seminars on leadership, team building and listening skills. It also acts as a breather in meetings and conferences, giving you a chance to step back and think.