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.
Conductors need, at the minimum, a bachelor's degree in arts (BA), although many professional positions require a master's (MA). Fortunately, there are a variety of music majors and minors to choose from, including conducting, in a number of universities.
The best seats in most concert halls for both acoustics and sight lines are in a section of the hall often called the “Dress Circle.” This is typically the first section at the front of the balcony.
Conductor Keith Lockhart
One reason orchestra managements give when asked why a dress code is necessary is that they want their musicians to present a uniform appearance to the audience. It's been customary to define that 'uniform appearance' to mean full formal dress: white tie and tails for men, and long black gowns or pantsuits for women.
In the broader sense, the orchestra is a large ensemble of musicians, and the instrumentalists do stage performances. ... On the other hand, a band is a comparatively small group of performers without string instruments. Both music troupes have their own identities.
Manchester Orchestra's keyboardist Chris Freeman has left the band after 10 years, saying in a post on the group's Facebook page that he will be taking on his own new projects. “I've come to a place in my career where I've decided to go down a new path and pursue my own projects,” Freeman says.
The New York Philharmonic
Cadenza: A point near the end of a movement in a work such as a concerto where the orchestra will stop playing and the soloist will perform an elaborate passage showing his or her virtuosity on the instrument.
Adjective [ADJ n] A philharmonic orchestra is a large orchestra that plays classical music. The Lithuanian Philharmonic Orchestra played Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.
Theodore Thomas
Percussion instruments
Orchestra generally refers to any ensemble with sections of bowed string instruments. ... Band, outside the idiom of folk and pop music, generally refers to an ensemble of wind instruments plus percussion section, with or without a string bass.
Since the 1970s many baroque orchestras have been formed across Europe, as well as some in North America.
The Flute. The flute is the highest sounding of the standard orchestra woodwind instruments (although the piccolo is higher). It's played played by blowing air across a hole in the mouthpiece. Because it's higher in pitch, like the violin, it will often play the melody of a piece.
Playing in an orchestra is typically harder than a band. Orchestral music is more complex and the fewer wind and percussion players are more exposed than in a band. Although marching bands may seem physically harder, playing demanding orchestra music is also physically and mentally taxing.
Trumpet. ... There are 2 to 4 trumpets in an orchestra and they play both melody and harmony and also support the rhythm. You play the trumpet by holding it horizontally, buzzing your lips into the mouthpiece, and pressing down the three valves in various combinations to change pitch.