Symphony orchestra jobs are not just for musicians, but also for composers, arrangers, stagehands, lighting and sound engineers, and administrative and marketing personnel. Musicians must compete fiercely for positions and tend to have long careers. The conductor guides musicians and earns the highest salary. Backstage staff require practical and specialized skills, while business administration and management oversee finances, marketing, and scheduling.
Many people may assume that symphony orchestra jobs are available primarily to people who have a high level of musical ability. Although the common symphony employs 30 to 100 musicians and at least one conductor, a number of other positions are available backstage. The featured performers in a symphony are the individuals seen by the audience, but there is also symphony orchestra work for composers, arrangers, stagehands, lighting and sound engineers, and electrical specialists. Administrative and marketing personnel are also found in symphony orchestra jobs. The musicians themselves are the stars of the show, but the show would never happen without a large and varied support team.
In terms of musical opportunities, symphony orchestra jobs are split between those that demonstrate expertise in strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion. Competition is fierce for these spaces, and landing this assignment requires talent and perseverance that allow the musician to survive many rounds of grueling auditions and a schedule of non-stop rehearsals. An artist hired by a large symphony orchestra tends to have a long career, mainly because his exceptional talent makes it difficult to replace. Players specializing in stringed instruments generally remain in symphony for more years than woodwind or brass. The reason is purely physical, as lung capacity tends to decrease before manual dexterity.
The conductor of a symphony orchestra is comparable to the director of a theater or film production. Conductors guide musicians through the interpretation of a musical interpretation, emphasizing or restricting certain instruments or sections to provide the most riveting performance. He or she is typically an expert musician and usually earns the highest salary of anyone holding a symphony orchestra job. Sometimes a composer will provide an original musical score and an arranger will transcribe the composition in the style of a specific symphony. Composers and arrangers are often paid in royalties, freelance or by the piece.
A large symphony orchestra can work with any number of electricians, lighting technicians and designers, sound and construction engineers, and a force of general workers and stagehands; although these people are usually employed by the hall in which the orchestra plays rather than the orchestra itself. These individuals do not need to have musical ability. What the positions require is a set of practical and specialized skills that allow a performance to proceed without technical difficulties. Backstage staff are usually under the supervision of a stage manager or symphony director – someone who has achieved occupational prowess in all areas of production setup and design.
Members of the business administration and management team are expected to oversee the symphony’s finances, provide marketing services, book and schedule performances, and seek non-profit funding. These types of symphony orchestra jobs are often divided between financial specialists and people who have a subspecialty in arts management. Symphonies also require a force of part-time ticket clerks, ushers, concession operators, and janitorial workers.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
