What Is a Concertmaster?

The conductor steps onto the stage and turns to shake the front row violinist’s hand. It’s always the same person. Why? That musician isn’t just any violinist: they are the concertmaster. But what does that mean, what do they do, and why is their role so important?

In high school, I worked closely with our concertmaster and participated as an assistant concertmaster in our chamber orchestra. This is a challenging position that takes a lot of practice to perfect and is very significant for the ensemble.

THE HISTORY OF THE CONDUCTOR AND CONCERTMASTER

From ancient tribes to today’s metronomes, from audible to nonaudible cues, musicians have always had a means to keep in time and play together. In early orchestral music, a musician playing the harpsicord or similar instrument “conducted” as they played. Sometimes the conductor was the composer of the music, allowing them to directly influence the ensemble. When violins grew in popularity, a first violinist naturally stepped up to share that role.

When the size of orchestras grew and scores increased in complexity, it became difficult for one violinist to perform and lead at the same time. There was a need for someone to keep everyone together who would not be performing at the same time. To address this, the modern conductor was added to the orchestra.

CONDUCTING RESPONSIBILITIES

Both the concertmaster and conductor serve as the lighthouse for lost musicians as they navigate their way through a piece. The concertmaster is usually the most physically expressive player in the ensemble, making them easy to follow. For string players, watching the concertmaster is especially important to ensure that the bows are going in the correct direction.

The way a violinist conducts can be seen in modern string quartets or small ensembles today. While playing, the musician will bob their violin up and down with the beat. The movement will be bigger for important sections, such as the entrance of an instrument, or a note that’s played after a rest. They will also sway back and forth in their seat and nod their head. They will often do this even in the presence of a conductor. The style of conducting can change based on the player, and it is up to them to communicate that to the rest of the ensemble.

One of the concertmaster’s most crucial responsibilities is that, if the conductor’s actions are indecipherable or they stop conducting altogether, all eyes fall on the concertmaster instead. A big struggle is being the one to interpret the conductor’s beat. I’m sure you’ve seen videos and wonder how the orchestra manages to stay together sometimes with a conductor’s “unique” conducting style such as this one or this even “weirder” one. When I was leading, this was the most difficult task of all, even when the conductor employed a simple style.

In high school, our orchestra would host a donation raffle for parents during the winter concert, and the winner got to conduct the orchestra for “Sleigh Ride.” Whenever this happened, we all looked at the concertmaster, not the newly designated conductor, to stay together.

Learning to conduct while playing feels like adding a third arm to the instrument. When I served as concertmaster, I now had to not just finger and bow the strings, but at the same time focus on when to move the body with the beat. This takes a lot of practice! Concertmasters have to combine these struggles and interpret the conductor, move and play at the same time. When we are about to start, I must cue that to the ensemble, because many people are not looking at the conductor — they are looking at me.

CONCERT RESPONSIBILITIES

At the beginning of a concert, an oboe will start the tuning session, followed by the concertmaster. This is largely performative, but it is still helpful for last-minute changes. The concertmaster represents the whole ensemble, and they almost always shake hands with the conductor and the guest soloist. The concertmaster can also be used to determine when to stand, bow and sit back down at the end of the concert. When the ensemble is gestured to move, eyes are on the concertmaster so that everyone moves at the same time.

The concertmaster also often performs the solo when a piece calls for one. In the case where there is a guest soloist who has a string or bow break, the concertmaster will usually be responsible for switching their violin and/or bow with theirs. From there, it is up to the concertmaster’s discretion to either keep playing with the broken instrument, to pass it on to someone else, or to fix it. This varies by group, and the method of resolution should be determined before the concert.

I was there when disaster struck once. In our chamber orchestra, our concertmaster broke their string during a concert near the end of a piece. As the second chair, it was my responsibility to switch instruments with them. This cued a conversation on how to handle string breakages during performances.

Backstage, the concertmaster helps to give ideas for how to play through the piece. Along with the conductor, they help determine the bow directions and other creative decisions, but they do not do it alone.

SECTION LEADERS FOR AN ENSEMBLE

An orchestra will sometimes have an assistant concertmaster who can give input and replace the concertmaster in times of need. Additionally, for each section of the orchestra, there will be a section leader — a musician who is responsible for coaching their own specific group. For a string orchestra, the most common instrument sections are first and second violins, viola, cello and bass. Each of these sections has one person who leads that section. They usually perform the solos and assist in bow directions and other artistic choices like a concertmaster would. They also are encouraged to use movement to help others in their section stay together. This helps take some weight off the concertmaster’s shoulders and makes it easier to stay together.

DOES THE CONCERTMASTER HAVE TO BE A VIOLINIST?

Not necessarily, but it is more convenient for them to be a violinist. First, in a large ensemble with more than just strings, the string section is usually seated closest to the conductor and the stage, making them easier to see. Second, it is easier to watch them keep tempo because of their bow being higher than that of, for example, a cello. It is also easier to move a small instrument like violin in time with the music. In addition, the first violinists tend to have the most solos and play the melody more often, making them more visible. Finally, it is just tradition.

During high school, my orchestra experimented with a cello concertmaster. While the cellist was very talented, it did not give us as much useful information for keeping in time. A cellist’s part typically includes more rests and plays a supporting harmonic role, while the first violin often carries the melody, usually making its part more rhythmically active and recognizable.

So next time you attend a concert, see if you can figure out what the concertmaster and other front row musicians are trying to say with their nonverbal language, and think about everything that goes on behind the scenes while beautiful performance is being delivered.