The title of music director is used by many symphony orchestras to designate the primary conductor and artistic leader of the orchestra. The title is principally used in North America and Asia, with titles such as "principal conductor" or "chief conductor" more common in Europe. Orchestra at City Hall (Edmonton). ... A conductors score and batons Conducting is the act of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. ...

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 adminstrative staff, and volunteer board of directors).

The term music director became common in the United States in the middle of the 20th century, following an evolution of titles. Early leaders of orchestras were simply designated as the "conductor." In the 1930s, the term musical director began to be used, in order to delineate the fact that the person in this position was doing much more than just conducting, and to differentiate them from guest conductors who simply led one particular program or concert. George Szell, for instance, was appointed as "musical director" of the Cleveland Orchestra in 1946, and his position was so named until his death in 1970. His successor, Lorin Maazel, was given the title "music director." Other major American orchestras kept more current with the times and began using the simpler term in the 1950s and '60s. George Szell, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1954 György Széll, better known by his Anglicised name George Szell (June 7, 1897 - July 29, 1970) was a conductor and composer. ... The Cleveland Orchestra is one of the major symphony orchestras in the United States. ... Lorin Varencove Maazel (born March 6, 1930) is a conductor, violinist and composer. ...

Alternatively, the term "music director" is sometimes the title listed in the film credits for a professional hired to supervise and direct the music selected for a film or music documentary, or for the conductor in charge of music for a theatrical production or Broadway musical. A documentary is a work in a visual or auditory medium presenting political, scientific, social, or historical subjects in a factual and informative manner. ...

See also

• Kapellmeister