International Conductors Guild Awards - 

Since 1988 the Guild has presented three categories of awards: 1) to a conductor who has made a significant lifetime contribution to the art and profession of conducting; 2) to a conductor in recognition of outstanding achievement as both conductor and pedagogue, with significant service to the profession in the realms of scholarship, advocacy and/or orchestra building; and 3) a scholarship/award (presented biannually) to the outstanding participant from the preceding two seasons of conductor training workshops, to be used for career-related expenses or advanced conducting study.

The Theodore Thomas Award is presented biennially to a conductor in recognition of outstanding achievement as a conductor and extraordinary service to one’s colleagues in advancing the art and science of conducting, reflecting honor upon our profession. Past recipients have included:

1988 – Max Rudolf
1989 – Leonard Bernstein
1990 – Leon Barzin
1991 – Sir Georg Solti
1992 – Maurice Abravanel
1993 – Robert Shaw
1994 – Frederick Fennell
1995 – Margaret Hillis
1996 – Pierre Boulez
1997 – Leonard Slatkin
1998 – Kurt Masur
2000 – Claudio Abbado
2002 – James Levine
2004 – Michael Tilson Thomas
2006 – David Zinman
2008 – Marin Alsop
2010 – Esa-Pekka Salonen
2012 – Sir Colin Davis
2014 – Bernard Haitink 
2016 – Sir Simon Rattle
2018 – Michael Charry
2022 – Zubin Mehta

The Max Rudolf Award is presented biennially in recognition of outstanding achievement as a  conductor and pedagogue, and significant service to the profession in the realms of scholarship, advocacy and/or ensemble building. This award was established by the Conductors Guild in 1997 in memory of Max Rudolf – a longtime supporter of the Guild, conducting pedagogue and scholar. Past and current recipients have included:

1997 – Gunther Schuller
1999 – Gustav Meier
2001 – Otto-Werner Mueller
2003 – David M. Epstein
2005 – Daniel Lewis
2007 – Herbert Blomstedt
2009 – Paul Vermel
2011 – Jonathan Sternberg
2013 – Donald Hunsberger
2015 – Helmuth Rilling
2017 -- Harold Farberman
2019 - Larry Rachleff
2021 - Dr. John Farrer
2023 - Ms. JoAnn Falletta 

The Thelma A. Robinson Award was a scholarship/award formerly sponsored by the National Federation of Music Clubs and was presented biennially to an outstanding participant from the preceding two seasons of Conductors Guild conductor training workshops for career-related expenses or advanced conducting study. Past Recipients have included:

1990 – Miriam Burns
1992 – Steven Martyn Zike
1994 – Laura Rexroth
1996 – Beatrice Jona Affron
1998 – Annunziata Tomaro
2000 – Eric Bell
2002 – Kevin Geraldi
2004 – Carolyn Kuan
2006 – Octavio Mas-Arocas
2008 – Katherine Kilburn
2011 – Matilda Hofman
2013 – Jamie Reeves
2016 --  Robert Whalen
2018  -  Isaac Hutton