virtuosos
Exceptionally skilled performers
Virtuosos is the plural of virtuoso—people with exceptional skill in music or another art.
The word typically describes performers whose technical mastery astonishes: The concert featured three piano virtuosos.
While classical music provides the natural habitat, virtuoso extends to any domain requiring dazzling technique: guitar virtuosos, culinary virtuosos.
The alternative plural virtuosi sounds more formal or pretentious.
Expert musical directors
- soloistsFeatured individual musicians
- prodigiesUnusually talented youth
- concertmastersOrchestra section leaders
- instrumentalistsMusicians using tools
pianists · violinists · cellists · conductors · conservatory · recitals · cadenzas · technique
Highly skilled practitioners
- wizardsPractitioners of sorcery
- hackersUnauthorized computer system intruders
- codersSoftware creators
- specialistsFocused field authorities
gurus · whizzes · savants · programmers · engineers · innovators · proficiency · coding
Those with dominion
- craftsmenSkilled manual trade workers
- artisansSkilled manual workers
- geniusesExceptionally gifted intellects
- savantsExceptionally learned individuals
experts · adepts · luminaries · painters · sculptors · calligraphers · ikebana · brushwork
Professional kitchen leaders
- mastersThose with dominion
- gastronomesExperts in fine eating
- patissiersProfessional dessert craftspeople
- platingSurface metal application
technique · Escoffier · tasting · palate · creativity · precision · presentation · seasoning
maestros
Expert musical directors
- soloistsFeatured individual musicians
- prodigiesUnusually talented youth
- concertmastersOrchestra section leaders
instrumentalists · pianists · violinists · cellists · conductors · conservatory · recitals · cadenzas · technique · bravura
experts
Highly skilled practitioners
specialists · gurus · whizzes · savants · programmers · engineers · innovators · proficiency · coding · debugging
masters
Those with dominion
- craftsmenSkilled manual trade workers
- artisansSkilled manual workers
- geniusesExceptionally gifted intellects
savants · experts · adepts · luminaries · painters · sculptors · calligraphers · ikebana · brushwork · technique
chefs
Professional kitchen leaders
- mastersThose with dominion
- gastronomesExperts in fine eating
- patissiersProfessional dessert craftspeople
plating · technique · Escoffier · tasting · palate · creativity · precision · presentation · seasoning · timing
- achieversachiever, high achiever, overachiever, go-getter, striver
- entertainers in artactors, dancers, musicians, comedians, circus performers
- expertsexperts, expert, specialist, masters, specialists
- notable peoplepoliticians, artists, leaders, writers, scientists
- maestrosconductors, music directors, symphony conductors, bandleaders, band leaders
- music professionalsarrangers, orchestrators, conductors
virtuososamateurs
Nonprofessional participants
hobbyists · dilettantes · dabblers · Sunday painters · weekend warriors
- piano virtuosoMaster of the keys
- guitar virtuoso
- virtuoso performanceDisplay of exceptional skill
- violin virtuosoMaster of bowed strings
- keyboard virtuosoMasterful keys player