Your standard foldable music stand will almost certainly have been your introduction to the world of music stands. Orchestral and conductor stands are the next stage. These tend to be more robust in construction, have a non-folding desk, and are specifically designed for use by players in an orchestral situation – either in the pits (always thought that’s a charming name!) or as a conductor. They are also a useful option if you just happen to want a more robust stand – one that allows you to put some fairly heavy pieces of music on it (specifically, I’m thinking about things like the 256 page O’Neill’s Music of Ireland which weighs in at a hefty 1kg).

The stand out offering (pardon the pun) is probably the Manhasset Symphony Model no. 4801. It’s an extremely popular stand and with good reason. The high quality steel construction is very sturdy weighing in at just over 3kg with a load capacity of 3.6kg. So, for example, you’ll safely be able to put your linen bound full score of Mahler’s Third Symphony in a Breitkopf edition, which weighs 1,775g, on the stand without worrying about it collapsing. It has good height adjustment (660 to 1536 mm) and the solid desk has dimensions of 508 x 317.5 mm. The desk also has a friction tilt system whereby you adjust the angle of the desk to what suits you and it stays in that position until you need to alter it. Very clever! Manhasset claim that this stand is used by more schools than all other stands combined, and I can well believe it. You’ve got a choice of colours (although black is the most popular) and can get good deals on the 6 packs if you need to buy in bulk. There are some useful accessories such as clip-on lights you can also buy, and if you are working in an orchestral environment the storage carts are definitely worth considering. The only downside of this stand is that the legs don’t fold up, so it’s not so convenient if you need to carry it round with you (in which case it’s worth looking at their model no 5201, which has traditional foldable tri-pod legs), but other than that, it is a fantastic option.

If you’re looking to spend a little less and have a more portable offering, I would definitely take a look at the Konig and Meyer 11960 and the TGI 1042B. The spec of these stands is pretty similar: The Konig stand has a height range of 670 to 1200mm, weight of 3.6kg and desk dimensions of 490 x 340 mm. As with all Konig stands, it is a very well constructed stand, and although it doesn’t come with a bag, you can purchase one separately. The TGI height is 700 to 1200mm, the weight 3.3kg and the desk dimensions 500 x 340 mm (n.b. the desk is perforated rather than solid, which may, or may not, bother you). I’ve sold a lot of the TGI stands over the years, and they are a very decent offering for the price. Good, robust stand which comes with a handy carry bag – you can also put you music scores in the bag, which is handy.