Chamber Orchestra Musician

A chamber orchestra musician performs in a small ensemble called a chamber orchestra. A chamber orchestra is similar to a symphony orchestra but is about half the size, usually only about 40 to 50 musicians. The word “chamber” is from the French word meaning “room” and the chamber orchestra is small enough to fit in a room. It is not uncommon to see a chamber orchestra performing without a conductor. For that reason, chamber orchestra musicians have to be very in tune (literally and figuratively) with each other. Chamber orchestra repertoire spans over hundreds of years and the musicians need to have knowledge of performance practices and history related to the repertoire being performed.

A chamber orchestra musician is hired by audition. Many professional musicians obtain a bachelor's, master’s, or even doctoral degree but a degree is not necessarily required to obtain a spot in an orchestra. The audition process can be very competitive and, for that reason, a chamber orchestra musician must have very high proficiency on their instrument. The schedule of a chamber orchestra varies with many performances happening evenings and weekends. Some chamber orchestras travel across the country or even around the world and their schedule will vary depending on their travel schedule.