The Role of Leadership in Conducting Orchestras

This book examines the leadership role of the orchestral conductor. Conducting is one of the most visible manifestations of leadership in action. Because of this, references to conductor leadership can be found in literature on management and studies into organizational leadership as well as corporate-leadership seminars. However, issues of leadership appear to form only a tangential part of conductor training and development. Compared to the in-depth study of musicianship and gestural technique, leadership appears to be a skill left to ‘on-the-job’ experience. In order to explore further the nature of the conductor’s leadership role, a survey of 31 aspiring conductors from eleven different countries forms the original research element of this book. The survey material is analysed and then discussed with reference to established leadership theory. In addition, reference is made to the views of established conductors to be found in openly available interviews. The conclusion proposes three elements to understanding conductor leadership: exploring personal authenticity, two theoretical leadership frameworks, and practical suggestions for accelerating leadership experience.