Page "Music director" Paragraph 2

In the 20th century, the title and position typically brought with it an almost unlimited influence over the particular orchestra's affairs.

As implied by the name, the music director not only conducts concerts, but also controls what music the orchestra will perform or record, and has much authority regarding hiring, firing, and other personnel decisions over an orchestra's musicians.

Such authoritarian rule, once expected and even thought necessary for a symphonic ensemble to function properly, has loosened somewhat in the closing decades of the 20th century with the advent and encouragement of more power sharing and cooperative management styles ( with the orchestra musicians themselves, the administrative staff, and volunteer board of directors ).

The music director in American lingo also assists with fund-raising, and also is the primary focus of publicity for the orchestra, as what is often called its " public face ".