Conductors
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Job description
These individuals conduct musical groups (orchestras, choirs, chorales, etc.) in front of an audience or for a dress rehearsal. They are self-employed or work for:
- Conservatories
- Concert venues or opera houses
- Music schools
- Sound recording companies
- Musicians' cooperatives
Environment
- Controlled ambient temperature
- Climatic conditions
- Noise
Main tasks
- Choose and interpret various musical pieces.
- Coordinate rehearsals and develop strategies to achieve the desired result.
- Conduct various types of orchestras (symphony, opera, ballet, etc.).
- Collaborate with chamber or contemporary music ensembles.
Advancement and mobility
- These individuals may specialize in one style of music (classical, country, jazz, etc.).
Training and requirements
Formation
Also required
- Experience as a musician.
Sometimes required
- Specialized training in conducting is usually required.
- An audition demonstrating musical talent and artistic ability is required.
- A portfolio demonstrating creative skills is usually required.
- Membership in the Guilde des musiciens et musiciennes du Québec (GMMQ [Quebec Musicians' Guild]) (professional union) is sometimes required.
Main skills and characteristics
Skills
- Active listening
- Coordination
- Quality control analysis
- Data collection
- Teaching
- Judgment and decision-making
- Result evaluation
- Systems evaluation
- Time management
- Oral expression
- Operations and control
- Critical thought
- Information processing
- Human resource management
- Persuasion
- Written expression
- Technological design
- Service oriented
- Social perception
- Monitoring operations
- Learning strategies
- Solving complex problems
- Programing
- Mathematics
Abilities
- Hearing sensitivity
- Auditory attention
- Control accuracy
- Sound origin identification
- Visualization
- Information processing speed
- Perception speed
- Time sharing
- Reaction time
- Selective attention
- Oral comprehension
- Limb coordination
- Memorization
- Overall coordination of the body
- Idea generation
- Near vision
- Speech clarity
- Speed control
- Inductive reasoning
- Limb movement speed
- Awareness of issues
- Information organization
- Verbal skills
- Wrist-finger speed
- Originality
- Dynamic physical flexibility
- Hand-arm stability
- Overall balance of the body
- Written expression
- Endurance
- Peripheral vision
- Written comprehension
- Distance vision
- Spatial orientation
- Deductive reasoning
- Mathematical reasoning
- Speech recognition
- Basic numeracy
- Manual dexterity
- Digital dexterity
Knowledge and attributes
- Capacity to work under pressure
- Critical thinking
- Leadership
- Capacity to influence and mobilize
- Capacity to adapt
- Spoken and written bilingualism (French and English)
- Rigour
- Attention to detail
- Knowledge of computer science, digital and electronics
- Creativity
- Knowledge of the arts
Interests
- Direct, organize, and manage
- Work in the arts, culture, music, or leisure
- Create, design
- Self-employment
- Assist and advise
- Teach or educate
Personality profiles (RIASEC)
- Artistic
- People with this profile prefer to express their emotions and thoughts through various art forms. They like to use their imagination.
- Enterprising
- People with this profile prefer having responsibilities, influencing others and responding to challenges.
- Investigative
- People with this profile prefer relying on theoretical knowledge before acting. They like observation, analysis and problem solving.
Appellation d’emploi liée (à traduire)
Conductors, composers and arrangers (CNP 51121)
Skill type
Art, culture, recreation and sport
Last update: January 29, 2026
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