The Concertmaster (American English) or leader (British English)
is the most important violinist in an orchestra. He or she will
sit in the front seat, by the conductor's left. The word
concertmaster comes from the German Konzertmeister. The leader
will be the highest paid member of the orchestra. He has to
decide how the violins will play the music and write in the
bowing. He will decide where each member of the violins should
sit. He will probably also interview them and offer them the job
in the orchestra. He will talk to the conductor about anything
the orchestra are not happy about (he may have to remind the
conductor when it is time to stop the rehearsal!). If part of
the music is marked "solo" then he will play it as a solo while
the other violins stop playing. In the United States it is usual
for the concertmaster to be on the platform before the concert
and to tell the orchestra to tune their instruments, playing on
his A string to give them the correct pitch. In European
orchestras it is usually the