Should a tech tycoon be able to pay his way into conducting a world-class orchestra? And should they really sell tickets?

Elon Musk may be able to buy a trip to Mars, but when the super wealthy pay to be conductors – as Canadian entrepreneur Mandle Cheung is doing – it makes a mockery of a meritocracy in classical music

There are some pretty gigantic non-negotiables for an orchestral musician. You have to be able to perform the right notes in the right order, with a combination of technical expertise, artistry, skill and understanding that demands years, decades and lifetimes of devotion.

But there is one figure on the orchestral concert platform who is both the most important person in the room – at least according to classical music’s hierarchies – yet who makes no sound, and whose job looks the simplest of all: the conductor, waving their arms about in time with the music and gurning at the players.