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 And concertmaster Jacob Ashworth was simply superb. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2024 He was born in Munich to a German concertmaster father and a Japanese pianist mother. The Indianapolis Star, 23 Jan. 2024 This alternated with a jangly violin solo strummed like a balalaika by concertmaster Jeff Thayer, interjected with woodwind and trombone laughing music. Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Nov. 2023 Special mention goes to the blazing final movement fiddling of concertmaster Audrey Wright (also of the New York Philharmonic). Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 9 Nov. 2023 This is a more plausible outcome: with signals from the concertmaster, an ensemble can navigate standard repertory on its own, as the conductorless Orpheus Chamber Orchestra has proved for decades. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 17 Dec. 2023 He was raised in Washington Heights by an American mother and a German Jewish violinist father, who had been concertmaster of a Frankfurt orchestra and escaped just before Kristallnacht. Fergus McIntosh, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023 The show is curated by Margaret Batjer, LACO concertmaster and director of chamber music, and features a performance led by pianist Anne-Marie McDermott. Steven Vargas, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2023 Associate concertmaster Ilana Setapen has served as acting concertmaster since then. Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 8 May 2023

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 19 Mar. 2024.

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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!