Music’s Most Mysterious Profession
This piece explores the public perception of orchestral conductors, contrasting the view of them as 'con artists' with the belief that they possess supernatural musical authority. It argues that conducting is a misunderstood profession that lacks the visible physical exertion associated with other musical roles.
Why it matters
It provides cultural insight into the performing arts and the nature of leadership in creative environments.
An 1846 caricature of the Romantic composer Hector Berlioz, known for his love of big, loud orchestras ( Stefano Bianchetti / corbis / Getty ) August 9, 2026, 8 AM ET Share Save Listen − 1.0 x + Seek 0:00 22:59 The conductor is a con artist. Or: The conductor is God. Musicians frequently encounter both of these extreme views of music’s most mysterious profession. It’s not surprising that conductors elicit suspicion as well as adulation. The very act of conducting—waving a wand to summon ravishing or ethereal or earsplitting sounds—can look like either inexplicable magic or embarrassing nonsense, a kind of tuxedoed air guitar.
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