<p><b>* A <i>Financial Times</i> Book of the Year *</b><br><br>¿What does a conductor do? It may be a favourite joke among the musicians in an orchestra, but Wigglesworth wants to find a more thoughtful answer. Avoiding jargon, he analyses what he has discovered during 30 years in the job.¿ Financial Times, Books of the Year <br><b><br>A conductor is one of classical music¿s most recognisable but misunderstood figures, attracting so many questions:</b><br><br><b>¿Surely orchestras can play perfectly well without you? ¿</b><br><br><b>¿Do you really make any difference to the performance?¿</b><br><br><b>¿Are the musicians even watching you?¿</b><br><br><b><i>The Silent Musician </i></b><b>is not a manual for conductors, nor a history of conducting. It is for all who wonder what conductors actually do, and why they matter. </b></p>