On orchestra calendars I sometimes see events called "reading sessions", such as this one: Pittsburgh Symphony 11th Annual Reading Session
What is a "reading session" and how does it differ from a normal concert?
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1READ the link - it tells you everything you need to know. – jjmusicnotes Aug 14 '15 at 23:24
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2@jjmusicnotes No, it doesn't. It assumes you already know what a reading session is. That's why I asked the question. – Nathan Reed Aug 14 '15 at 23:27
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2Reading is simply reading through a piece - as one would read a story. No rehearsal, just read it. Good players are quite capable of doing this. The results will be quite palatable, although after, the conductor and composer may feel the need to change things - subtly or not. – Tim Aug 15 '15 at 7:50
Typically, it's an opportunity for new composers to hear their music played by a real orchestra, as opposed to the playback option in their notation computer software. "Reading" implies that this is usually close to sight-reading by the orchestra (and sometimes by the conductor as well!)
