trousersnekk

Holy crap! Prokofiev's 5th is one of my favorite symphonies and to see it being played by a conductor less orchestra is amazing as it's quite a big and frantic piece. With such a big ensemble, wouldn't it be hard to agree on dynamic or tempo choices? Playing without a conductor is pretty common in chamber music but this is just on another level of practice and dedication.

Hey, I'm a high school student that wants to go into classical music as a career, more specifically a conductor or a pianist. Is there any sort of conventional career paths or is it heavily based on things such as competitions? Do you really have to attend conservatory or are universities just fine since most conservatories are really expensive?