User:BrianSchweitzer/Music Director Position Relationship Type Proposal

Status: This page describes an active advanced relationship proposal and is not official.

Proposal number: RFC-269 Champion: BrianFreud Current status: Pre-RFC Initial Discussion

Description

This indicates that an artist is, or was, the music director for an artist. This is an artist who not only acts as conductor, but also as the artistic leader for a musical group. This typically includes:

• Sole authority over hiring and firing musicians within the group
• Fund-raising responsibilities
• Concert programming
• Responsibility for hiring guest conductors and soloists
• Acting as the public face for the group

In musical theater and opera, the music director(s) is/are also principally responsible for the overall musical performance.

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The titles typically used to describe this position are:

Director musices

Latin for 'music director', this title was typically used in Europe at universities and cathedrals. While it has fallen out of favor, it still is in active use in Sweden.

• Director musices is also one of two musical titles granted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and the Finnish Orthodox Church. The title is honorary. This relationship type should not be used simply because an artist is a recipient of the honorary director musices title.

Director cantus

This is the other honorary musical title granted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and the Finnish Orthodox Church. The title is always honorary, and should not be used to indicate this relationship type.

Director of Music

Music Director

Kapellmeister

In the classical era, this title indicated a conductor role, not a Music Director role, as the church or nobleman was responsible for employment of musicians, fiscal matters, and most repertoire selection. In modern times, however, while the title has become less frequent, when it is used, it indicates the same general responsibilities of a Music Director.

• Exception: When Kapellmeister is used to describe a position with a military band, the title is most equivalent to a Bandmaster, not a Music Director.

Organist and Master of the Choristers

A title typically given to the Director of Music at a cathedral, most commonly at Anglican cathedrals in the United Kingdom. This title also implies additional roles beyond those typical to a music director:

• This artist is the organist for the cathedral, though the artist typically only plays the organ during rehearsals of the cathedral choir. Supporting Musician Relationship Type with the Rehearsal Relationship Attribute and organ Instrument Relationship Attribute should also be used.
• This artist is the choirmaster for the cathedral choir. Choirmaster Position Relationship Type should also be used.
• Finally, in addition to conducting the cathedral choir, this artist is also responsible for training the singers in the choir. Vocal Coach Position Relationship Type should also be used.

Artistic Director (or simply 'Director')

An Artistic Director typically works with a smaller, less well-funded institutional group - the group may even be newly formed, not yet even having performers, and thus requiring the Artistic Director to seek out performers. Music directors with this title typically have multiple roles besides the music director roles, and may thus need multiple other assorted relationships to describe their responsibilities.

Link Phrases

• Artist is/was music director for Artist
• Artist has/had music director(s) Artist
• Artist is/was an assistant music director emeritus for Artist
• Artist has/had assistant music director(s) Artist
• Artist is/was an associate music director for Artist
• Artist has/had associate music director(s) Artist
• Artist is/was a music director emeritus for Artist
• Artist has/had music director emeritus/emeriti Artist
• Artist is/was the principal music director for Artist
• Artist has/had principal music director(s) Artist

Attributes

• start date

This indicates the first date that the artist held the music director position.

• end date

This indicates the last date that the artist held the music director position.

• assistant

This title indicates a less experienced, or first-time music director, who works under the direction of a more experienced music director.

• associate

This title indicates a less experienced music director who works under the direction of the principal music director.

• emeritus

This title indicates that a music director has at least partially retired, and no longer plays an active role with the group.

• principal

This indicates that the group had multiple music directors who were led by this music director.

Guidelines

• Conductor Position Relationship Type should be used in addition to this relationship type.
• The position (and any attribute used) should be documented; it must not be assumed.
• At any one time, an artist may have more than one music director, but never more than one principal music director.
• A music director must be a person artist.
• The target artist must be a group artist.
• A music director is almost never also a member of the group.
• Only one of the attributes 'assistant', 'associate', 'emeritus', or 'principal' should be used at the same time.