Soloist

Soloists are experts who specialize at performing the solo repertoire of their instrument alone in recital settings and in front of large ensembles as the principal soloist. Pursuit of this career requires intense dedication to the practice of an instrument and performance skills, with thousands of hours dedicated to improving one’s abilities. While the effort required of this career borders on obsession, for many soloists performance is their life’s primary passion and the payoffs outweigh the costs.

A soloist’s career can appear daunting, but every soloist started somewhere. Musicians who hope to one day work as full-time soloists will want to work with a private teacher who specializes in their instrument as early as possible to establish healthy and sustainable performance habits. Any opportunity to perform is valuable, so performing in solo gigs, competitions, and youth or community ensembles in addition to school groups is encouraged.

The next steps will commonly be the pursuit of performance undergraduate and graduate degrees to study under expert teachers and gain valuable performance and audition experience before entering the professional world. A strong foundation in performance is required for this career, along with skills in presenting and speaking to others.