Backstage Pass: Costume Designer
Backstage Pass: Programmer
Backstage Pass: Lighting Designer
Backstage Pass: Orchestra Librarian
Backstage Pass: Orchestra Manager
Backstage Pass
Backstage Pass: Orchestra Librarian
What is an Orchestra Librarian and what do they do exactly?
When we think of the word “librarian”, the first thing most of us would think of is the librarian we see in libraries where we borrow books. But did you know that orchestras have librarians too?
Why would an orchestra need a librarian? Let’s find out!
This is Avik and he is an Orchestra Librarian!
The role of the Orchestra Librarian is a unique and important one within the orchestra team but before we get deep into what an Orchestra Librarian does, here are some quick facts you should know about Orchestra Librarians like Avik!
A special kind of librarian
Have you ever noticed the music stands at an orchestra performance? Music stands are pedestals that musicians use to place and position so that they can refer to the score sheets. Musicians need to be able to read the score sheets so that they know what to play on their instruments while performing during a concert.
An Orchestra Librarian has the important task of ensuring that these score sheets are good and ready for the concert—from acquiring them to making restorations to older scores, as well as making sure the sheets are notated with the correct information and cataloguing them after the concert has ended. Let’s find out more about what exactly an orchestra librarian does.
The tools of the trade
For an organisation like Singapore Symphony Orchestra that has been around since 1979, it would be incredibly challenging to maintain and catalogue all the music that has been performed each year. Can you imagine just how many score sheets they would have accumulated over the years? Thousands! Here’s where technology comes in to help Avik with his job!
The role of the Orchestra Librarian is essential, especially in large music ensembles. If the music score sheets are not prepared or notated properly, musicians will not be able to play their music properly and it could get quite messy! Keeping a catalogue of the music or archiving them properly is also equally important, as we have learnt from Backstage Pass: Archivist.
Therefore, even though you may not see them on stage, the next time you catch an orchestra performance, don’t forget the important work that an Orchestra Librarian has contributed to in making the concert happen!
Complete the puzzle!
