A conductor is a person who directs a group of musicians, making sure they play together correctly. In science, a conductor is a material that allows heat or electricity to flow through it easily.
From Latin 'conductor', meaning 'one who leads or guides', from 'conducere' ('to lead together'). The musical and scientific senses both grow from the idea of leading or carrying something along.
On a podium, a conductor doesn’t make any sound but controls the music; in a wire, a conductor doesn’t create electricity but lets it flow. In both cases, the conductor is the pathway that turns potential into performance.
In orchestral music, 'conductor' was long treated as a male default, with women systematically excluded from training and appointments. This created a linguistic and institutional association between conducting and male authority.
Use 'conductor' for people of any gender and avoid assuming a conductor is male; name women and non-binary conductors explicitly in examples and histories.
["music director","orchestra leader"]
When discussing conducting, include pioneering women and non-binary conductors who challenged exclusion in major orchestras and conservatories.
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