Culture

Art Seen: The language behind the baton

How conductors convey musical ideas through movement.

Art Seen: The language behind the baton
Conductor Quinn Mason raises his baton to unify the orchestra. 
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Matt M. McKnight

When conductors step up to the podium, they speak volumes, in silence. Whether through the glance of an eye, the flick of a baton or full-bodied movements, a conductor communicates both the notes written on the pages of a score and the ephemeral qualities that convey the essence of music. In this video, Quinn Mason, guest conductor for Orchestra Seattle; Julia Tai, musical director of Philharmonia Northwest; and Thomas Dausgaard, music director of the Seattle Symphony, unveil the art behind the physical movements that direct orchestral music.

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Matt M. McKnight

By Matt M. McKnight

Matt is formerly a visual journalist at Crosscut, where he covered a variety of political, social and environmental issues around the Pacific Northwest. Before Crosscut, he was a news photo editor at