Exploring the manner in which professional identity formation in emerging conductors is entangled with the cultural context of orchestras, I focus on the amorphous evolution from a student identity to that of a professional, illuminating some underlying social conditions of the ever-elusive profession of conducting. Prevailing assumptions about professionalism and orchestral practice are addressed, and I consider the implications of these issues for emerging conductors of the twenty-first century. Although one's own status as a professional musician can be a delicate subject indeed, in this article I reflect on a period of time during the early years of my conducting career: a transition bracketed by distinctive moments of identity formation. In doing so I offer not an ethnography, but a particular experience--one that transformed my conception of orchestral music-making from a product-centric approach to one that is practice-inspired. (Contains 8 notes.)