From Newton’s Grove to Europe: Michael Husu’s Rise in Orchestral Conducting

Alumni, Global Learning, Recent Alumni

Newton’s Grove is proud to celebrate the incredible achievements of alumnus Michael Husu, Class of 2022, who is already making an impressive name for himself on the international music stage.

After graduating from NGS and continuing his studies in Switzerland, Michael made the transition from Piano Performance to Orchestral Conducting – a bold move that has already led to major success across Europe.

Last month, Michael participated in the “Orchestras Conductor” International Competition in Vratsa, Bulgaria, where more than 80 conductors from around the world competed through multiple elimination rounds. After an intense series of performances, only three finalists remained.

As the youngest competitor in the competition, Michael stood out for his passion, energy, professionalism, and musical leadership, ultimately earning 1st Prize and winning the competition outright.

What made this year’s edition especially unique was the judging process itself. Rather than being evaluated by a traditional panel of external adjudicators, the competition was judged directly by the orchestra musicians through a scoring system. This placed a strong emphasis on communication, connection, collaboration, and expressive musicality – qualities that Michael demonstrated throughout the competition.

As part of his win, Michael has now earned upcoming conducting opportunities with orchestras in both Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, exciting next steps for an emerging young conductor.

In addition to this achievement, Michael recently had the honour of conducting in a masterclass with the Basel Chamber Orchestra and has also been selected to work with renowned Toronto Symphony conductor Gustavo Gimeno at the prestigious Mondego Academy in Coimbra, Portugal this July.

We are incredibly proud to see Michael representing NGS on an international level and can’t wait to follow his continued success in the world of music. Congratulations, Michael!

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