Getting in tune: A qualitative analysis of guest conductor–musicians relationships in symphony orchestras
Highlights
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- Guest conductors and musicians mutually influence each other's behaviors.
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- They start negotiating the extent and areas of their power immediately.
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- Guest conductors often have to act as trust initiators.
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- They also invest in impression management.
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- Initiating trust and managing self-presentation helps conductors build legitimacy.
Abstract
Using
a qualitative approach, I analyze the phenomenon of guest conductors in
professional symphony orchestras to explain how they establish the
legitimacy of their authority in a short period of time. I argue that
guest conductors and musicians are two interdependent centers of power
in orchestras: conductors try to affect musicians’ perception of their
legitimacy, and players try to influence the behavior of their guest
conductors. In situations where typical sources of a conductor's
legitimacy may not exist and where musicians possess power simply by
virtue of their knowledge of the orchestra and their experience of
performing together, guest conductors and musicians may need to
negotiate the domains and levels of power in every encounter. Although
this negotiation is facilitated by the existing structure of the music
field, the symphony orchestra, and the music score, relationships
between musicians and guest conductors are modified in each encounter.
Because of the temporary nature of guest conductor–musicians
relationships, the success of this negotiation depends on the extent to
which guest conductors can signal their readiness to build trustworthy
and respectful relationships with musicians and invest in impression
management.
Keywords
- Authority;
- Guest conductors;
- Legitimacy;
- Musicians;
- Symphony orchestras;
- Trust
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