The orchestra, like all the major ensembles in Eastern Europe, earns hard currency from foreign tours but most of this is spent on new instruments.

Thirty-seven of Kernis's compositions have been recorded by major ensembles and soloists.

A band has been a major ensemble of the Department of Music since 1979.

But I'll take the dynamic and courageous playing of this orchestra any day over the slick technical perfection of many major ensembles.

The orchestra, like other major American ensembles, uses blind auditions but retains an almost completely white face.

Her works have been widely performed my major ensembles, including a commission from the Kronos Quartet.

Elsewhere, neither of these elements showed the sheen and responsiveness of a major ensemble.

In an annual series of weeklong summer conclaves, they have discussed each other's scores and heard the works performed by major ensembles.

Musicians put more focus on an orchestra when it's the major performing ensemble in town.

All told, the rehearsal ran four hours, well beyond anything major American ensembles are required, or contractually permitted, to undertake on tour.