The orchestra glanced at their music, Song of the Volga Boatmen, scored for wind instruments and percussion, poised their instruments, as their eyes turned on the conductor. His baton twitched.

Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance, such as an orchestral or choral concert. The primary duties of the conductor are to set the tempo, ensure correct entries by various members ...

There is always an element of distance due to requirements ... But it’s come through the craft of music-making – not the personality. The conductor has drawn people in and communicated with ...

The conductor: Stravinsky’s protégé Robert Craft, at 35 one of the world’s leading interpreters of avant-garde music. First performed in Venice last fall (TIME, Oct. 6). Threni is a 33 ...