PGSO conductor Michael Hall

By Tommy Osborne

PGSO

Behind the baton: the intricacies of shaping an orchestra

Dec 11, 2023 | 1:06 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – Anyone that’s watched an orchestra perform will know that the conductor stands front and centre, and more often than not the conductor can be quite quite animated while they wave their baton. Beyond waving the baton though, what exactly does it mean to be an orchestra conductor?

“Primarily, my job is to explore the music through my hands, face and my body. Most importantly, it’s a matter of establishing a really musical atmosphere. And that, again, is through your physical gestures, so you’re listening very intently to what they (the orchestra) are playing. You’re reacting to what they play. And also, you’re proactive. So when you know a part is coming up that you want a certain sound, then you’re already thinking before it happens how to bring that sound about,” explained the Prince George Symphony Orchestra’s (PGSO) Conductor Michael Hall.

While all the musicians in the PGSO are professionals who can obviously read music and play expressively, Hall explained his role is bringing everyone together and creating one cohesive orchestra, rather than many individual musicians.

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“Let’s say I’m a trumpet player, right? As a player, I don’t know in the context of the whole orchestra, am I too loud, am I too soft? Is it coming out? So part of my job is that I’m there to listen, so I can listen to the trumpet and go it’s a little too much, or give me a little more,” Hall said.

“(The player) knows the dynamic because they see it, but they may not know because of where they’re sitting how it blends into the whole. So my job is to help them relate to each other, have them listen to each other, and sort of balance it as,” he continued.

In the above video, Hall demonstrates the type of impact a conductor has, as the orchestra is simultaneously watching the music and Hall. In general, Hall explained his baton hand keeps the rhythm, while his other hand is used to gesture for various cues which can include things like volume control or when a musician should enter.

“How big you gesture roughly corresponds to how loud they play. So if you give a small gesture, then you kind of concentrate, everyone’s listening and concentrating to a point. If you’re very small, then they’ll play a certain way. If you’re quite big, they’ll play a different way.”

The Nutcracker, the famous ballet written by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, will be performed by the PGSO from Thursday December 14 to Sunday December 17. You can buy tickets here.