This coming season, the CityMusic Chamber Orchestra will have a new look: there will be no conductor on the podium. The ensemble is shifting to a democratic model, an innovative structure that values the creative voice of every player. Through a dynamic process of collaboration and attunement, democratic musicians build bonds of trust across the orchestra, resulting in exceptional performances.

In this model, the concertmaster and section chairs take larger leadership roles, organizing the string sections as if they were a giant string quartet. Wind and percussion players offer their interpretation of solo lines and work together to achieve coherent execution. Players direct their attention toward different sections throughout a piece, as the leader for tempos and cut-offs shifts based on the structure of the composition.

This model requires every member to invest in the artistic vision — players cannot show up to rehearsal only knowing their notes, they must each come with a concept of how their part fits into the whole work. This deeper understanding of the music is conveyed to the audience, who get to experience not one conductor’s vision, but the sum of dozens of interpretations.

Relationships are therefore the core of a democratic orchestra; without a director to resolve differences, every player must be willing to offer and receive critiques to achieve a unified whole. This empathetic listening between musicians is conveyed to the audience, who experience uniquely present and sensitive performances. It will be exciting to witness CityMusic players build on their years of creative collaborations to achieve new levels of artistry.