concertmaster

noun

con·​cert·​mas·​ter ˈkän(t)-sərt-ˌma-stər How to pronounce concertmaster (audio)
variants or concertmeister
: the leader of the first violins of an orchestra and by custom usually the assistant to the conductor

Examples of concertmaster in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Take concertmasters and principal players across North America to form an All-Star Orchestra. Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 June 2023 The orchestra itself, which recently signed a three-year labor agreement that will add flexibility to its concert schedule, has not had a leader on paper since 2019, when Malcolm Lowe retired as concertmaster; in practice, the matter has been unstable for longer than that. David Allen, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2023 Happily there were at least signs of progress in the orchestra’s longstanding search for its next concertmaster, as the presumptive finalists have begun cycling through town. Jeremy Eichler, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Jan. 2023 His father was a violinist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, his cousin was principal cellist with the Boston Symphony, and his brother became associate concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra and concertmaster of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. Douglas Starr, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Aug. 2023 When a violin/mandolin duel with associate concertmaster Bing Wang ensued, the violinist dazzled. Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2023 The orchestra, led as usual by concertmaster Robert Mealy, was deft and expressive, and the chorus matched it in energy. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 8 June 2023 The annual gathering of concertmasters and principal players, led by conductor Michael Francis, celebrates its 35th anniversary festival. Beth Wood, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Mar. 2023 As is its custom, Orpheus performed without a conductor, but much leadership clearly came from the concertmasters (different for each piece). Dallas News, 27 Feb. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'concertmaster.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

German Konzertmeister, from Konzert concert + Meister master

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of concertmaster was in 1873

Dictionary Entries Near concertmaster

Cite this Entry

“Concertmaster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/concertmaster. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

concertmaster

noun
con·​cert·​mas·​ter ˈkän(t)-sərt-ˌmas-tər How to pronounce concertmaster (audio)
variants or concertmeister
: the leader of the first violins and assistant conductor of an orchestra
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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