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concertmaster

American

[kon-sert-mas-ter, -mah-ster] / ˈkɒn sərtˌmæs tər, -ˌmɑ stər /

noun

the leader of the first violins in a symphony orchestra, who is usually also the assistant to the conductor.

concertmaster British

/ ˈkɒnsətˌmɑːstə /

noun

a US and Canadian word for leader

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of concertmaster

1875–80; translation of German Konzertmeister. See concert (noun), master

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

concertmaster

A Chicago-based violinist, Mulcahy serves as the concertmaster of the Wichita Symphony Orchestra, and has to regularly make the roughly 700-mile flight between Illinois and Kansas as a result.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 8, 2025

Mehta led the AYS until 1998, when he handed the reins to Alexander Treger, concertmaster of the L.A.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2024

The abrasive sound of a scordatura violin colors the second movement, but the concertmaster, Frank Huang, slyly played it straight, letting the instrument’s fiendish, squirrelly sound speak for itself.

From New York Times ● Feb. 2, 2024

When a violin/mandolin duel with associate concertmaster Bing Wang ensued, the violinist dazzled.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2023

At nineteen—not much older than me—he's already the concertmaster of the Hannover Orchestra.

From "What the Night Sings" by Vesper Stamper

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023