concertmaster
noun
con·cert·mas·ter
ˈkän(t)-sərt-ˌma-stər 
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
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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
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.
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Kids Definition
concertmaster
noun
con·cert·mas·ter
ˈkän(t)-sərt-ˌmas-tər
variants
or concertmeister
: the leader of the first violins and assistant conductor of an orchestra
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