What is an orchestra conductor?

Answer:

Conductor, in music, a person who conducts an orchestra, chorus, opera company, ballet, or other musical group in the performance and interpretation of ensemble works. At the most fundamental level, a conductor must stress the musical pulse so that all the performers can follow the same metrical rhythm.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the orchestra from?

The word derives from the ancient Greek part of a stage where instruments and the chorus combined music and drama to create theater. The first semblance of a modern orchestra came in the early 17th century when the Italian opera composer Claudio Monteverdi formally assigned specific instruments to perform his music.

Do you get paid to play in an orchestra?

How much you can make as a classical musician varies wildly. According to the American Federation of Musicians or AFM, Toronto branch, hourly rates for orchestral musicians start at $106 for the leader and $53 per hour for what they call side players, with a three-hour minimum. That's scale for a freelance gig.

What are the instruments that comprise a symphony orchestra?

A Symphony Orchestra is defined as a large ensemble composed of wind, string, brass and percussion instruments and organized to perform classical music. Wind instruments include flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoons. String instruments include harp, violin, viola, cello, and double bass.

How do an orchestra line up?

A modern full-scale symphony orchestra consists of approximately one hundred permanent musicians, most often distributed as follows: 16–18 1st violins, 16 2nd violins, 12 violas, 12 cellos, 8 double basses, 4 flutes (one with piccolo as a specialty), 4 oboes (one with English horn as a specialty), 4 clarinets (one with ...

What instrutment in orchestra produces the high notes?

At half the size of a standard flute, piccolos play the highest notes of all the woodwinds; in the orchestra one of the flute players will also play piccolo if that instrument is required. The high piping sound of the piccolo is also heard in traditional drum corps and marching band music.

22 Related Question Answers Found:

When did the trombonist in Andre Rieu Orchestra die?

Ruud Merx, a trombonist who has performed with Andre Rieu's Johann Strauss Orchestra for over 20 years, died last week after suffering a heart attack during a British tour. He was just 47. Merx suffered the heart attack in his sleep at 5 a. m. on 17 December.

Why is being the leader of the orchestra important?

'The most obvious role of the Leader is liaising with the conductor in rehearsals to help the Orchestra interpret their ideas and make them sound as they imagine. This mainly affects the string section, but may also influence the rest of the Orchestra.

Is a band an orchestra?

An orchestra is a large group of musicians which can include even 100 or more members. A band is a small group of musicians which generally includes a lesser number of members than orchestras. Orchestras use four main families of instruments – strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion.

Do symphony orchestras have trombones?

The usual orchestral line up is two tenor trombones and one bass trombone and this has been set since the mid-19th century. ... There's always a place for the trombone in band music, but in orchestral music, its role is a bit more hidden, as we have seen with other bass instruments (cello, double bass, bassoon).

What is data pipeline orchestration?

Data pipeline orchestration is traditionally engineering-heavy, but a modern data stack can free your engineers for higher-value projects. ... Data orchestration is the process of coordinating the execution and monitoring of these workflows.

How much do pit orchestra musicians make?

Major orchestra salaries range by the orchestra from a little over $100,000 to a little over $150,000. Principals, the ranking member of each orchestra section, can make a great deal more, in some instances more than $400,000. And most major orchestras play for a season lasting only about nine- months a year.

Which instrument plays first in an orchestra?

If you go to a concert performed by an orchestra, you will first hear the oboe play an A note (the standard tuning note) right before the performance starts, followed by each instrument playing an A and the entire orchestra tuning with one another.

What is the double basses role in the orchestra?

The double bass is the biggest string instrument in the orchestra. It emits low and muted tones, sometimes rhythmic, sometimes long, but almost always incredibly powerful. The double bass part often forms a stable foundation over which the rest of the orchestra's notes can resound.

How big is a full orchestra?

A smaller-sized orchestra (forty to fifty musicians or fewer) is called a chamber orchestra. A full-size orchestra (eighty to one hundred musicians or more) may be called a symphony orchestra.

What reed instruments would you find in a symphony orchestra?

The modern orchestra's woodwind section typically includes: flutes, oboes, clarinets, and bassoons. The piccolo, cor anglais, bass clarinet, E-flat clarinet, and contrabassoon are commonly used supplementary woodwind instruments. The section may also on occasion be expanded by the addition of saxophone(s).

Where does the leader be in an orchestra?

The principal first violin is called the concertmaster (or orchestra "leader" in the U.K.) and is not only considered the leader of the string section, but the second-in-command of the entire orchestra, behind only the conductor.