A research on the techniques of conducting

The orchestra that has maintained its existence until today, through transformation and advancement, is a medium in which various instrumental sonorities/colors are combined for a particular musical purpose via certain principles of orchestration that vary according to musical periods. In this context, the conductor is in the place of leadership that holds central importance to bring out the concord and balance desired by composers. The conductor is strictly responsible for every single sound that the orchestra produces which he/she is leading. Conducting, with its past as hundreds year old as that of the orchestra itself, embraced numerous methods and techniques. Each movement of the conductor, use of his/her hands, his body language, his facial expressions, even his motionless (when necessary) are central elements that hold extreme importance for orchestra musicians, thus, for the correct and proficient rendition of any given musical work. In this thesis, the advancement and transformation process that the orchestra and conducting underwent has been researched within the historical process beginning from the Baroque Era and then commonly used basic and advanced conducting techniques have been put under the scope and examined in details. Keywords: Orchestra, Conducting, Orchestration, Symphony, Opera