What is a contractor?
The Orchestra Contractor
- serves as liaison between musicians and purchaser
- collects instrumentation, rehearsal, and performance schedules from the purchaser for distribution to musicians
- contacts the musicians and distributes scheduling information for each service set to them according to instrumentation provided
- collects required payroll paperwork for purchaser
- serves as (or designates) on-site leader to ensure that players and purchaser adhere to AFM rules throughout service set
- submits payroll and pension payment information to purchaser and assures timely distribution of payment to musicians and AFM (pension)
It is the responsibility of the orchestra contractor to see that musicians are found, hired, and brought into the studio or stage to perform. Much of their work relies on their extensive contacts and voluminous lists of every reputable musician playing common and not-so-common instruments. Selection of the most talented, congenial, and appropriately skilled musicians is the main duty of the orchestra contractor, who is often faced with very specific requests by composers and directors.
Because intimate knowledge of the music industry is required, it is extremely beneficial for the orchestra contractor to be able to tell a musician's strengths (early music/new music/chamber music, etc), and personality (a high-maintenance performer from an easygoing one) in order to assemble the most appropriate players for an event. They must also know and tend to all the contract obligations of the American Federation of Musicians.