A conductor is one of classical music´s most recognisable but misunderstood figures, attracting so many questions: ´Surely orchestras can play perfectly well without you?´ ´Do you really make any difference to the performance?´ ´Are the musicians even watching you?´ The silent Musician 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.