Conducting as the art of leadership
A conversation about communication, clarity, imagery—and why leadership has more to do with listening than with volume.
A blog by Alessa Prochaska, featuring interview excerpts from a conversation with conductor Andreas Zöller.
What we can learn from orchestras
An orchestra is no coincidence
50 to 120 people, one moment, one breath – and yet each voice remains unique.
In conversation with conductor Andreas Zöller, it quickly becomes clear:
Music is only the surface here. Underneath lies something deeply familiar:
Leadership, communication, trust, and timing.
The Interview
Alessa
How do you actually become a conductor?
Andreas
You become a conductor because you have a good education—or because you find an orchestra, or even start one yourself.
There are many paths: the classic route through university studies, through music education, or—like me—part-time alongside a job through an academy.
Alessa
And what’s the most important skill you learn there?
Andreas
Communication.
Alessa
Is communication more verbal or nonverbal?
Andreas
In rehearsal, it’s about half and half.
You hear something, give verbal feedback—and then it has to align nonverbally: baton, movement, body language.
In the end, what I say, what I show, and what I want to hear have to be one.
Alessa
That’s coherence.
Andreas
Exactly
If I stand there calmly and say, “I’m incredibly excited,” it’s weird.
And it’s the same in an orchestra: if I want to hear excitement, it has to show in my words and my movements too.
Alessa
You work a lot with images, don’t you?
Andreas
A lot.
For example, with legato we like to say:
“We don’t let a single ray of sunlight between the notes.”
That’s much clearer than “play connected.”
Andreas
Or tone color:
I imagine the orchestra as colors.
The oboe might be violet, the bass dark brown, the flutes yellow.
Then I communicate a mix—and everyone fits in with their own color.
Alessa
And still the oboe stays the oboe.
Andreas
Exactly
If the double bass sounded like the violin, we wouldn’t need it.
Alessa
Do you ask the orchestra for their opinion too?
Andreas
Yes, very often.
For example: “At what tempo do you feel the piece?”
120 or 124 beats—a huge difference for us, barely audible for the audience.
But: I set limits.
A rehearsal isn’t a discussion circle. At most two questions.
Alessa
What was your biggest communication “aha” moment?
Andreas
That everyone first wants to be met where they are.
Positive language is extremely important.
Not: “You’re late.”
But: “I’d like you to be a bit more punctual.”
And: feedback.
The smallest—but super important—feedback is a smile.
Alessa
When does an orchestra become a top orchestra for you?
Andreas
When you can feel that everyone genuinely wants to be there.
That we feel safe, feel joy at creating something together.
The audience notices immediately.
Communication is more than communication.
It’s how you feel while you’re communicating.
Mini glossary
Solo · Orchestra · Tutti
- Solo: One voice consciously takes responsibility
- Orchestra: Many voices shape something together
- Tutti: Everyone together—maximum impact
FAQ
What can leadership learn from conductors?
That leadership has less to do with volume and more to do with clarity, timing, and listening.
How does alignment happen without pressure?
Through a shared image, not through rules.
Why are images so effective?
Because they reach everyone at the same time—regardless of role, experience, or perspective.
Takeaways
A great orchestra doesn’t happen because everyone plays the same. It happens because what shared image they’re creating together.
Leadership is not a solo. It is a finely tuned tutti, with space for every voice.
