Kapellmeister

Kapellmeister, from Kapelle ('chapel') and Meister ('master'), literally 'master of the chapel choir', is a word of German origin that designates the leader of an ensemble of musicians. Originally used to refer to somebody in charge of music in a chapel, the term has evolved considerably in its meaning and is today used for denoting the leader of a musical ensemble, often smaller ones used for TV, radio, and theatre.