Orchestras

Many people who are interested in classical music feel somewhat intimidated by their lack of knowledge about the subject. While enjoyment of music is certainly possible with little or no...

While listening to the New York Philharmonic or the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra, the music may sound so seamless and unified that it can be challenging to distinguish the individual instruments....

Overview of basic time signatures for an orchestra. Learn more about keeping time for an orchestra in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor and composer.

A symphony conductor music be familiar will all the time signatures of a score. Learn more about keeping time for an orchestra in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor and...

Tips for conducting a symphony orchestra. Learn tips for conducting an orchestra in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

You too can be a symphony conductor. Learn tips for conducting an orchestra in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

Make the symphony audience jump out of their seats. Learn tips for conducting an orchestra in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

A symphony conductor must know how to conduct in 6/8 time. Learn about ways in which conductors communicate with orchestra members in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

A symphony conductor must know how to conduct in 9/8 time. Learn about ways in which conductors communicate with orchestra members in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

A symphony conductor must know how to conduct in 12/8 time. Learn about ways in which conductors communicate with orchestra members in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

A symphony conductor must know how to conduct in 5/4 time. Learn about ways in which conductors communicate with orchestra members in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

Forte means loud, piano means soft. Learn about terms for music dynamics when conducting an orchestra in this free conducting lesson from an experienced symphony conductor.

A symphony conductor must know how to conduct in 6/4 time. Learn about ways in which conductors communicate with orchestra members in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

A symphony conductor must know how to conduct in 7/4 time. Learn about ways in which conductors communicate with orchestra members in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

A symphony conductor must know how to conduct in 2/4 time. Learn about ways in which conductors communicate with orchestra members in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

A symphony conductor must know how to conduct in 3/4 time. Learn about ways in which conductors communicate with orchestra members in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

A symphony conductor must know how to conduct in 4/4 time. Learn about ways in which conductors communicate with orchestra members in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

Oboist plays an A note for orchestra members to tune. Learn more about orchestra preparations in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

Do not applause until symphony instruments are lowered. Learn more about how to be an orchestra conductor in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

A symphony conductor dictates the speed and pace of the music. Learn about ways in which conductors dictates what the orchestra plays in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

Get ready to conduct a symphony with the musical score, a baton, a pencil and a tuner. Learn about what you need to conduct an orchestra in this free conducting lesson from an experienced conductor.

Signal the end of a passage of orchestral music with a quick flick. Learn more about conducting a symphony orchestra in this free series of conductor lessons from an experienced conductor.

Cut off orchestra with a vertical hand motion. Learn more about conducting a symphony orchestra in this free series of conductor lessons from an experienced conductor.

Conductors can use palms to signal the end of a passage of music. Learn more about conducting a symphony orchestra in this free series of conductor lessons from an experienced conductor.

Conductors can signal orchestra to stop with a hand-pinch motion. Learn more about conducting a symphony orchestra in this free series of conductor lessons from an experienced conductor.

Practice tips for conducting an orchestra. Learn more about conducting a symphony orchestra in this free series of conductor lessons from an experienced conductor.

Conduct your orchestra to come to a stop. Learn more about conducting a symphony orchestra in this free series of conductor lessons from an experienced conductor.

Conduct your orchestra to come in on third beat of four-count measure. Learn more about conducting a symphony orchestra in this free series of conductor lessons from an experienced conductor.

Conduct your orchestra to come in on fourth beat of four-count measure. Learn more about conducting a symphony orchestra in this free series of conductor lessons from an experienced conductor.

Conduct your orchestra to come in on second beat of four-count measure. Learn more about conducting a symphony orchestra in this free series of conductor lessons from an experienced conductor.

Make sure your orchestra is prepared to start playing a piece of music. Learn more about conducting a symphony orchestra in this free series of conductor lessons from an experienced conductor.

Use one beat instead of a full measure to signal the orchestra entry. Learn more about conducting a symphony orchestra in this free series of conductor lessons from an experienced conductor.

Conduct your orchestra to come in on first beat of four-count measure. Learn more about conducting a symphony orchestra in this free series of conductor lessons from an experienced conductor.

Make sure the orchestra comes in at the right time. Learn more about conducting a symphony orchestra in this free series of conductor lessons from an experienced conductor.

Tips for conducting loud and soft orchestra entrances.Learn more about conducting a symphony orchestra in this free series of conductor lessons from an experienced conductor.

These are beats or counts which tell an ensemble when to start playing a piece of music. Learn more about conducting a symphony orchestra in this free series of conductor lessons from an...

You enjoy symphony concerts, but do not always enjoy paying the high price of tickets. Here are some helpful and creative ideas to get discount symphony tickets so the music can go on.

Completed in 1902 and revised the following year, the Symphony No. 2 in D by Finnish composer Jean Sibelius is arguably the most beloved symphony written in the 20th century. The entire piece, and...

Symphony no. 5 in E minor by Peter Tchaikovsky is a perfect example of a Romantic-era symphony—colorful, complex and above all, passionately emotional. It has been an audience favorite ever...

Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847) is one of the most underappreciated of the great German Romantic composers. His music is elegant, expressive, richly melodic and often deeply moving. If...

The opening notes of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C Minor are probably the most famous melodic fragment in all of classical music. But what many people fail to realize is that this symphony’s...

Franz Schubert composed his famous Symphony No. 8 in B Minor in 1822. But for some reason he abandoned the project in mid-stream, leaving only two completed movements. Those two movements,...

The Symphony No. 4 in A, nicknamed the “Italian” symphony, was composed by Felix Mendelssohn in 1833, a few years after he went on an extensive European tour that included a visit to Italy....

Ludwig van Beethoven’s Third Symphony, nicknamed the “Eroica” (Italian for “Heroic”), altered the course of musical history. Composed in 1803, the Eroica broke the established rules for the...

The Tanglewood Music Festival is an annual event held in Lenox, Massachusetts each summer that features the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Tickets sell out rapidly and are not available until the...

The Boston Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1881 and is considered one of the world's premiere orchestras. Its home base is Symphony Hall in Boston, Massachusetts. The Orchestra travels to...

Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, nicknamed the “New World Symphony,” was written by Czech composer Antonin Dvorak in 1893, during a three-year stay in the United States. Its most famous passage is the...

Imagine the perfect evening picnic: The sun sets slowly behind the horizon, and soon you and your partner are picnicking under the stars. In the background, the strains of classical music fill the...

The Philadelphia Orchestra was founded in 1900. In its first 100 years, it had only six music directors. The home of the Philadelphia Orchestra is the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. In the...

Joining a youth symphony is an exciting experience for any musician. Most youth symphonies have musicians that range between the ages of 12 and 18. It is a great way to meet other musicians in...