Music conductor

1. What is a music conductor called?
2. Does a conductor actually do anything?
3. What is the role of a music conductor?
4. Do musicians really watch the conductor?

What is a music conductor called?

Nomenclature. The principal conductor of an orchestra or opera company is sometimes referred to as a music director or chief conductor, or by the German words Kapellmeister or Dirigent (or, in the feminine, Dirigentin).

Does a conductor actually do anything?

Most importantly a conductor serves as a messenger for the composer. It is their responsibility to understand the music and convey it through gesture so transparently that the musicians in the orchestra understand it perfectly. Those musicians can then transmit a unified vision of the music out to the audience.

What is the role of a music conductor?

“The role of a Conductor is to unify a large group of musicians into a core sound instead of a wild bunch of different sounds surging out; the role of a Concertmaster is to decode the conductor's information, and transmit it to the orchestra, plus to his section; the role of Principals is to use all this information ...

Do musicians really watch the conductor?

Orchestral musicians may look directly at a conductor if they are looking for a cue they know the conductor plans to provide, but usually only if they find it helpful. Most members can also see the conductor's gesticulations in their peripheral vision even when they aren't looking directly at him or her.