maestro

American  

[mahy-stroh] / ˈmaɪ stroʊ /

noun

• maestros,
  plural
• maestri
  plural

1. an eminent composer, teacher, or conductor of music.

   Toscanini and other great maestros.

2. (initial capital letter) a title of respect used in addressing or referring to such a person.

3. a master of any art.

   the maestros of poetry.

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maestro British  

/ ˈmaɪstrəʊ /

noun

1. a distinguished music teacher, conductor, or musician

2. any man regarded as the master of an art: often used as a term of address

3. See maestro di cappella

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maestro Cultural  

1. A title for distinguished artists, especially those in music. It may be given to teachers, composers, conductors, or performers. Maestro is Italian for “master.”

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• maestri
  plural
• maestros
  plural

Etymology

Origin of maestro

1790–1800; < Italian: master

Explanation

A maestro is an artistic master: someone who is skilled enough to be considered an artistic genius. Taking one music class or art class can teach you a lot, but it won't make you a maestro. Maestro (which comes from Italian) is reserved for people with an enormous amount of skill and talent. This word can apply to any type of artist — and sometimes, to people with impressive skills in other areas — but it's most commonly applied to musicians. Master composers, pianists, cellists, guitarists, and conductors are often called maestros.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

maestro maestri maestros

It had enlisted an unlikely negotiator: a celebrated Kenyan maestro who had come to enjoy the performance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

I will miss watching the greatest maestro and savant in the history of basketball, LeBron James.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026

Brunson became an expert dribbler with both hands, a maestro of footwork and fundamentals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026

Radio 1's dance music maestro Danny Howard tell us backstage.

From BBC ● May 25, 2026

He had become a maestro himself—was regarded as he had once regarded Uncle Dap.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

Just as much, those maestri would defer to Mr. Drucker’s interpretations of clarinet solos.

From New York Times ● Dec. 20, 2022

As an example let us take the case of the radio maestri.

From Time Magazine Archive

It was established in one of the halls of the Lateran, and even the Carlovingian kings obtained from it skilful maestri and organists.

From Pagan and Christian Rome by Rodolfo Amedeo Lanciani

I have written three operas, and am a member of the Bologna Academy; I underwent a trial where several maestri toiled and labored for four or five hours, whereas I finished my work in one.

From The Letters of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Volume 01 by Ludwig Nohl

For five years now I've given up what I'd like to do, and I've tried, under the best maestri I could find, to make something out of my voice, so to speak.

From The Bent Twig by Dorothy Canfield Fisher

Only Swedish pop maestros Abba have breached the seven million mark since, making it an elite club.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

Donning video headsets and armed with nothing more than a joystick and the Olympics’ fastest fingers, these maestros have the exact same objective as the athlete they’re filming: to be the best in the world.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 2026

He delighted audiences at prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall and collaborated with jazz legends, Western classical orchestras, and Carnatic music maestros.

From BBC ● Dec. 16, 2024

What might a young music director mean to an orchestra and to a city when an amazing crop of international and, for the first time, diverse young maestros and maestras is upon us?

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 12, 2024

As powerful as ACD’s computer was, however, the maestros of Project Mercury would require even more electronic horsepower for what was to come next.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

Related Words

• composer
• conductor