orchestra
noun
-ˌke- \
Definition of orchestra
1a : the circular space used by the chorus in front of the proscenium in an ancient Greek theater
b : a corresponding semicircular space in a Roman theater used for seating important persons
2a : the space in front of the stage in a modern theater that is used by an orchestra
b : the forward section of seats on the main floor of a theater
c : the main floor of a theater
3 : a group of musicians including especially string players organized to perform ensemble music — compare band
Keep scrolling for more
Synonyms for orchestra
Synonyms
band, philharmonic, symphony, symphony orchestra
Visit the Thesaurus for More
Examples of orchestra in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Conducting the orchestra is Alain Trudel, who worked with Keoghan on the original production at the Montreal Opera. — Madeline Mitchell, Cincinnati.com, "Pink Floyd's 'The Wall' was turned into an opera and it's making its American debut in Cincinnati," 13 July 2018 Composers who also produce, perform, or conduct the orchestra on a score get an additional fee. — refinery29.com, "Record Scratch: Only 6% Of Your Favorite Shows Use Music Composed By Women," 1 July 2018 Michael McKelvey directs; Jaune Buisson choreographs; C. Leonard Raybon conducts the orchestra. — Theodore P. Mahne, NOLA.com, "Tulane's Summer Lyric kicks off season with concert celebrating 'Bernstein at 100!'," 2 June 2018 Raul Gomez conducts the orchestra in a performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, often credited with breaking the mold of the symphony, starting with a then-unconventional opening that emphasizes mood over melody. — Amy Wang | The Oregonian/oregonlive, OregonLive.com, "Arts picks: A new 'Cinderella' tale, Jackson Bottom Wetlands art show, more," 31 May 2018 And finally, Christopher Warren-Green, the music director for the Charlotte Symphony, will conduct the orchestra at the wedding ceremony. — Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, "WATCH: The City of Charlotte Has an Uncanny Number of Ties to the Royal Wedding," 16 May 2018 Maestro Brian Groner will conduct the orchestra while Lisa Fredenburgh conducts the chorus. — Joy Davis, Aurora Beacon-News, "Orchestra and chorus to perform in Aurora," 26 Apr. 2018 The film will be shown in high-definition on a 40-foot screen with Justin Freer conducting the orchestra. — Mark Rapp, cleveland.com, "Cleveland Arts listings for April 20-26: Akron Symphony Orchestra presents "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in Concert" & More," 19 Apr. 2018 Daniela Candillari conducts the 16-piece orchestra. — Deanna Isaacs, Chicago Reader, "Arts / Opera / Performing Arts / LGBT Fellow Travelers brings the 1950s ‘lavender scare’ to opera," 19 Mar. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'orchestra.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for orchestra
orchestra
noun
English Language Learners Definition of orchestra
: a group of musicians who play usually classical music together and who are led by a conductor
the orchestra : a group of seats in a theater that are close to the stage
See the full definition for orchestra in the English Language Learners Dictionary
orchestra
noun
\
Kids Definition of orchestra
1 : a group of musicians who perform instrumental music using mostly stringed instruments
2 : the front part of the main floor in a theater
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on orchestra
What made you want to look up orchestra? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Musical Words Quiz
-
- Which word describes a musical performance marked by the absence of instrumental accompaniment?
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Share orchestra
Resources for orchestra