Music director

The music director (MD), General Music Director ( GMD) or chief conductor is the artistic director of an orchestra, a choir or an institution. In part, also find the name of the choir director for this occupational group.

Music directors

The music director (lat. director musices ) or chief conductor was originally the title of senior civil servants musician a city in Germany and Austria; so for example, was Johann Sebastian Bach music director in Leipzig, Georg Philipp Telemann and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach in Hamburg, Robert Schumann in Dusseldorf. In earlier times awarded princes, dukes or kings this item. Today, he is awarded by local authorities, universities and religious institutions.

Since the 19th century, the title is also awarded to the director of musical devices such as Municipal Band and choirs. Special items are, for example, municipal director of music or city director of music, country music director (LMD ) and University Music Director (UMD).

In the ecclesiastical sphere there is the church music director ( CMD ), the country director of church music ( LKMD ), or on special churches such as the Protestant Foundation Tübingen pin music director. In some Catholic dioceses the heads of units for church music also carry the title of diocesan church music director ( DKMD ) or Diocesan Music Director (DMD ). The General Cecilia Association, Federation of Catholic Church Music German dioceses, gives the title of music director ACV.

General Music Directors

In larger cities, the music director often gets the title of music director, especially if he is responsible as principal conductor of the symphony orchestra and the theater / opera. The title of music director was first awarded in 1819 in Berlin for Gaspare Spontini. Daniel Barenboim, for example, since 1992, musical director of the Berlin State Opera Unter den Linden.

In Austria, on 28 June 1930 by resolution of President Wilhelm Miklas ( 1872-1956 ) for players who enjoy a very good reputation in the international music world, as a professional conductor at one of the care dedicated to music Austrian Art Institute of paramount importance by at least ten worked years without interruption and have to have as such prominent artistic achievements, the professional title " music director " created.

Other musical offices and titles are director, music director, artistic director, managing director, conductor, Kapellmeister and court music.

Choir directors

The Association of German professional choir director (FDB ) gives for the admission of new members at the request of the title Choir Director FDB. The title of music director FDB usually requires an education at a college of music as well as an outstanding concert. The title may be canceled for weak performance again. The Federal Union of German Associations choir gives at the request of the title Choir Director BDC for outstanding artistic contribution. Decides on the application an examination committee of seven experts. The title is valid according to the association as an alternative to other musical education degrees and diplomas.