Here is a checklist with things a concertmaster needs to take care of.

– He is the leader of the first violin section.

– He is the leader of the orchestra.

– He is the first solo violinist and has to perform all concertmaster soli. Sometimes he’ll perform as a soloist.

– He is the intermediary/contact between the orchestra and the conductor.

– He has to lead group or string rehearsals.

– He is responsible for the bowings while keeping the desired articulation in mind, or he needs to translate the desired articulation into the right bowings.

– He has to lead in a physical way and has to be able to show his intentions with movements and body language.

– In case someone doesn’t perform well, he needs to speak with this person in order to get him back on track.

– He has to create social cohesion if necessary.

– In amateur orchestras: he has to help others to play well.

– Maybe only in amateur orchestras: he has to support the players mentally.

Several leadership styles could be used in order to achieve these things.

One of the things that came out of the first questionnaire filled in by orchestra members, was my apparent lack of self confidence and my behaviour (which was being judged as “too friendly”). Here are a few examples of what I did after I read these outcomes.

– A string player didn’t have the time or energy to practise at home. During some rehearsals I helped him: I gave him bowings and fingerings and we practised his solo together. I did this a few times. Result: he forgot all the fingerings I gave him and he was sightreading his solo every rehearsal.

When, after too many rehearsals, he still didn’t practise the solo at home, I told him to correct this before the next rehearsal and that I expected it to be ready, whether he’d got time/energy left or not. Result: the next rehearsal he played the entire solo correctly, for the first time.

– I spoke with a string principal, who generally kept loosing himself in the music or in the air, and who wasn’t paying attention to ensemble playing anymore because of this. I told him to make sure to keep eye contact, so that bowings and articulation would be the same. I explained he still would be on time when he followed my bow instead of the baton (usually he was showing too much initiative and he was entering too early), which he didn’t believe. So we did an experiment, in which I showed him what I meant: I started playing random sixteenth notes with accellerandi and ritardandi; he had to follow, and after a minute we switched roles. Fast result: we were playing perfectly together. Long term result: he still has got the tendency to be too much on his own, but he is definitely paying more attention to the first violins.

– A while ago I had to lead a string rehearsal. All string sections played well, but unfortunately the first violins got lost all the time because I was conducting instead of playing, and it was clear they didn’t prepare themselves enough on beforehand. After a while I told them to go and find a different room, so that they could do a sectional rehearsal. Result: I could do a good rehearsal on details with the rest of the string orchestra, instead of having to pay attention to the wrong notes at my left hand…

These are a few examples of my way of leading now: I’m literally taking the lead and I’m direct to people who didn’t prepare enough. This is a difference: before the last intervention cycle I felt a little “embarassed” to approach individuals who kept the group from moving forward (both during and outside rehearsals), and therefore I tried not to do so – or to do it in a way that was so friendly that maybe they didn’t realise I wanted them to change something. Now I’m quite direct in making my intensions clear.