Conductor - The challenging profession in the orchestra

The conductor—they're the head of the orchestra. They have many important tasks and are responsible for the musical development of the orchestra. The importance of this leadership role is not relegated simply to on-stage appearances, either. Many conductors could be absent from the concert and professional orchestras would play almost exactly as with their boss or chief. In fact, they have the greatest attention and the most important role during the rehearsals.

But what does the everyday life of a conductor look like? What do they have to do? Why are they needed at all? How does one become a conductor? And how does a good conductor work? We will answer all these questions in this article and you will certainly discover many new things and get a better insight into the work and life of conductors.

What does a conductor do in rehearsal?

Conductors do most of their work not in concert, but in rehearsals. They have to make sure that all the important things have already been discussed and rehearsed there, and that everything has been rehearsed, down to the last detail. It is equally important to work as time-efficiently as possible and to use the rehearsal time wisely. No matter how well you plan the rehearsal in advance, things will always turn out differently and you have to be able to react quickly to all eventualities.

Now, of course, there are many tasks that a conductor has during a rehearsal:

Error correction

The simplest and most obvious task is to correct mistakes. For example, if the intonation is not right, a wrong rhythm is played, or individual stops do not play together. These aspects, among others, must be constantly corrected. In addition, it can happen that other musicians notice mistakes or do not know exactly how some pieces are played. Here, too, conductors have to help and sometimes explain certain passages in more detail.

Refinement of musical expression

As a musical director, you also control the dynamics, articulation and phrasing of the orchestra. The different registers must play balanced and loud according to their function. This means that the melody does not always have to be the most important and loudest voice, but that the middle voices are often more important for the development of the harmonies and chords. Positioned in front of the orchestra, the conductor can thus optimally guide the balancing of the different voices. Joint articulation and phrasing can also be effectively influenced from there.

Coordination of the orchestra

Conductors can use conducting to hold the orchestra together and ensure that everyone plays at the same tempo. Professional orchestras are usually no longer dependent on this help and can also communicate with each other on their own.

Interpretation of the works

Before the first rehearsal, conductors intensively study the work and consider which passages embody certain moods or atmospheres. Aggressive, stormy, suffering, cheerful, funny, or anxious. The conductors decide this, taking into account the composers' indications. Here, too, the task is to find uniform rules and guidelines for interpretation so that each musician plays together in a large orchestra.

Communication with the musicians

On the one hand, communication is a matter of course in order to pass on thoughts and wishes to the orchestra. On the other hand, the conductor, along with the orchestra board, ensures that the climate in the rehearsals is pleasant. Everyone should feel comfortable and motivated to participate in the rehearsals.

So you can see that conductors have many important tasks and always have to be top prepared. For all of them, however, it is not a burden but a pleasure to prepare and get the best out of the orchestra.

How does one actually become a conductor?

Now you already know what conductors have to accomplish. But how does one actually become a conductor?

It all depends. There is no ready-made recipe for this. Everyone has a different story of how they came to conducting. But the first step will probably have been the same for all of them: they started by playing an instrument. Conducting is a kind of extension to your own instrument. If you didn't know the musicians' point of view and couldn't play an instrument, the job would be almost impossible.

After that, there are many other paths. On the one hand, you can play in a music club or an orchestra, the interest in conducting is awakened in you and you feel like standing in front of the orchestra. Then you can simply ask there if you can try it out. If you like it, clubs in your area often offer so-called C courses. There you can learn the basics and then conduct your own orchestra. Or maybe your school or music school will take you to a conducting course and you can start taking over smaller rehearsals.

So you've taken the first steps—how can you turn the conducting hobby into a profession?

Now you've already been able to gain your first experiences and train in orchestras and lead rehearsals. But what if you now want to pursue this hobby professionally? Then, after graduating from high school, a course of study is the right path for you. There you will learn all the important skills that a conductor needs. In addition, you will usually have the opportunity to conduct with university orchestras or even well-known orchestras from your city. This gives you valuable rehearsal and performance experience and makes it even easier to work with professionals later on.

For the theory, formal studying is very valuable and also in practice it can take you very far early on. But you will continue to expand and develop the practice throughout your life. This kind of intense, theoretical knowledge is so often only taught only in a formal-study setting. Without the theory and understanding of music, you will not be able to develop in practice. Therefore, study carefully and consider conducting as an instrument that you have to practice every day: study scores, do the practical exercises of the professors and teachers, watch performances, participate in rehearsals, conduct in front of the mirror, and lead many rehearsals. In this way, it will become easier day by day.

What can I earn as a conductor?

You've probably asked yourself what you can earn later as a conductor and whether it's worth it at all. The answer is both simple and difficult. It is always worth it if you are 100 percent enthusiastic about music and enjoy spending every day with music. On the other hand, the salary depends a lot on your position and also your additional side jobs. If you are well-known, you can earn more than most doctors. However, if you have a job at a small theater, which does not have the financial means to pay you well, you will have to make do with less.

The money should not play a role in this, as well as in ALL other musical, artistic professions. Create your life with the music out of passion and not with the goal of earning a lot of money with it someday. Otherwise you are unfortunately in the wrong industry. Of course, the partly low salary can be an exclusion criterion for you if you want a wealthy life and perhaps already have an alternative to this job.

Please also have a look at our article on annual planning for musicians. There you can also learn more about this vocation.

What skills should conductors possess?

As a conductor, it is important to have basic skills and thus effectively prepare an orchestra for upcoming concerts. Of course, the requirements for a conductor of an amateur, youth or professional orchestra are clearly different and cover different areas. In youth orchestras, not only good music pedagogy is required, but also an understanding of working with young adolescents who may not yet know much about music. In professional orchestras, education is not the focus. Here, a good ear and attention to detail are required, and you must be able to deal with music at the highest level.

In general, however, one can list a few things that every conductor should be able to do or learn:

Good hearing

A good ear is almost a matter of course, since conductors must quickly and accurately detect inconsistencies in intonation, rhythm and also dynamics within a register. But you don't need an absolute ear for that.

Multitasking

You should be able to multitask with little or no issues. As a conductor, you have to read scores, conduct, listen for mistakes, and compare everything with your own idea of sound all at the same time.

Motor skills

When conducting, the right hand usually sets the time signature and tempo - practically like a visual metronome. With your left hand, you communicate your musical ideas to the orchestra, give cues, or flip through your score. But for this to work, your two hands and arms must be able to move independently of each other.

Leadership skills

This may sound a bit unusual, but conductors are the boss of the orchestra in their position. You have to show authority and also be able to deal with criticism. As a conductor, you are responsible for all musicians and must therefore be able to take the lead.

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