Yvonne Caruthers, Professional cellist writes...

This question has as many answers as there are people onstage. Each player thinks his/her instrument is the best/most important/ hardest, which is why they've devoted so many hours of their life attempting to master it. A lot of conductors think their role goes way beyond that of leadership ("yes, your Grace"). The admin folks convince themselves their jobs are most important: raising money, selling tickets, maintaining the concert venue.

I believe one thing it's easy to lose sight of is that everyone involved in an orchestra needs to check their ego at the door (this rarely happens, for all the usual reasons that any team finds).

Conductors often forget that we performers are merely human. We make mistakes, but most of the time we really try to do our best, even when we are given challenging working conditions or extreme tempos. Players have to remember that a conductor's comments shouldn't be taken personally, even if they sound that way. Admins would do well to invite input from the folks onstage, but that rarely happens.

In truth, a modern day orchestra is a well-oiled machine, with many moving parts. When everyone in an orchestra feels convinced of what they are doing and the direction they are taking, it is a fantastic experience. When the organization is floundering, it quickly becomes a collection of competing desires and egos - not a pleasant place to be. Vince writes…

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