The Orchestral Violinist's Companion

A Comprehensive Guide to the Mastery of Orchestral Playing

Martin Wulfhorst’s The Orchestral Violinist’s Companion is a monumental advice and training manual designed to support violinists throughout their entire career—from preparing for their very first audition to managing the physical and mental demands of a lifelong orchestral career.

While traditional university programs provide an excellent foundation in solo repertoire and general instrumental technique, they often leave students unprepared for the highly specialized, collaborative, and grueling nature of professional orchestral life. This two-volume work serves as the ultimate manual to bridge that gap, providing practical training, stylistic guidance, and career advice.

Core Pedagogical Themes

The volumes cover an abundance of essential themes:

• Practice & Audition Techniques: Comprehensive guides on efficient practice techniques, sight-reading, daily practice routines, and strategies for coping with stage fright.
• Instrumental Mechanics: Rigorous instruction on bow technique, tone production, left-hand technique, pizzicato, and other special orchestral effects.
• Ensemble Skills: Developing acute rhythmic precision, ensemble blending, standard notation conventions, and performance practice.
• Career & Wellness: Crucial advice on looking after your body, coping with orchestral life as a social environment, and managing the long-term physical and mental pressures of a demanding performing schedule.
• Professional Prep: Guidance on preparing orchestral parts, building a core repertoire, and stylistic knowledge.

Extensive Repertoire and Scientific Foundations

• Over 300 Orchestral Works: Includes hundreds of musical examples and exercises drawn from standard symphonies, oratorios, operas, operettas, and ballets spanning the period from c. 1750 to 1950.
• Annotated Indexes: Features detailed lists of orchestral excerpt collections, thematically relevant books and articles, and recent important studies on “Performance Science”.
• Technical Exercises: Includes custom-designed exercises aimed specifically at advancing a player’s orchestral technique and bow control.

Target Audience

These volumes are designed as an invaluable classroom or independent study resource for:

• Graduate and postgraduate students specializing in orchestral playing.
• Audition candidates preparing for professional trials.
• Violinists at the start of their orchestral careers.
• Experienced orchestral musicians and conductors looking to refine their teaching or ensemble coaching.

---

Additional Resources

• Official Companion Site: orch.info (features additional resources and introductory videos)
• Feature Interview: Read the in-depth interview with the author at violinist.com
• Publisher Detail: Learn more or purchase at Bärenreiter