impresario

/ɪmprəˈsɑrioʊ/

/ɪmprəˈsɒriəʊ/

Other forms: impresarios

An impresario is a promoter: someone who books, promotes, and organizes shows such as concerts.

Impresario comes from an Italian word for a businessperson, and in English it especially refers to someone in the promotion business. In the music business, Bill Graham was a famous impresario who arranged concerts for huge bands such as The Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd. An impresario signs a band — or other entertainment — and makes a deal with the venue. Impresarios then arrange advertising and promotion to alert fans and arrange for tickets to be sold. Impresarios make shows happen.

Definitions of impresario

1. noun

   a sponsor who books and stages public entertainments
   synonyms: promoter, showman

   examples:

   Phineas Taylor Barnum

   United States showman who popularized the circus (1810-1891)

   William Frederick Cody

   United States showman famous for his Wild West Show (1846-1917)

   Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev

   Russian ballet impresario who founded the Russian ballet and later introduced it to the West (1872-1929)

   Richard D'Oyly Carte

   English impresario who brought Gilbert and Sullivan together and produced many of their operettas in London (1844-1901)

   Solomon Hurok

   United States impresario who was born in Russia (1888-1974)

   Charles Ringling

   United States showman whose song-and-dance troop evolved into a circus (1863-1926)

   types:

   exhibitioner, exhibitor, shower

   someone who organizes an exhibit for others to see

   organ-grinder

   a street musician who plays a hand organ or hurdy-gurdy

   porn merchant, pornographer

   someone who presents shows or sells writing or pictures that are sexually explicit in violation of the community mores

   type of:

   booker, booking agent

   someone who engages a person or company for performances