Biography sections of an orchestra instruments

Large instrumental ensemble

For other uses, see Orchestra (disambiguation).

An orchestra (; OR-ki-strə)^[1] is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments:

Other instruments such as the piano, harpsichord, pipe organ, and celesta may sometimes appear in a fifth keyboard section or may stand alone as soloist instruments, as may the concert harp and, for performances of some modern compositions, electronic instruments, and guitars.^{[note 1]}

A full-size Western orchestra may sometimes be called a symphony orchestra or philharmonic orchestra (from Greekphil-, "loving", and "harmony"). The number of musicians employed in a given performance may vary from seventy to over one hundred, depending on the work being played and the venue size. A chamber orchestra (sometimes a concert orchestra) is a smaller ensemble of not