concertmaster

noun

con·​cert·​mas·​ter ˈkän(t)-sərt-ˌma-stər How to pronounce concertmaster (audio)
variants or concertmeister
ˈkän(t)-sərt-ˌmī-stər How to pronounce concertmaster (audio)
: the leader of the first violins of an orchestra and by custom usually the assistant to the conductor

Examples of concertmaster in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Peter Otto is the symphony's concertmaster and principal violinist. — Melonee Hurt, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025 The associate concertmaster position also remains vacant three years after longtime violinist Nadya Tichman stepped down, despite multiple rounds of auditions. — Lisa Hirsch, San Francisco Chronicle, 23 Jan. 2026 Balances were a recurrent problem in the Prokofiev, and, with big and often distracting gestures, Kavakos didn’t always keep up with the soloist, the DSO’s excellent concertmaster, Alexander Kerr. — Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 1 Mar. 2026 The orchestra is trying out candidates for the vacant position of concertmaster, and Marc Rovetti, who is assistant concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra, delivered them with clean reserve. — Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for concertmaster

Word History

Etymology

German Konzertmeister, from Konzert concert + Meister master

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of concertmaster was in 1873

Rhymes for concertmaster

See All Rhymes for concertmaster

Browse Nearby Words

concertize
concertmaster
concertmistress
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Concertmaster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/concertmaster. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

concertmaster

noun
con·​cert·​mas·​ter ˈkän(t)-sərt-ˌmas-tər How to pronounce concertmaster (audio)
variants or concertmeister
-ˌmī-stər How to pronounce concertmaster (audio)
: the leader of the first violins and assistant conductor of an orchestra
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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