sightreader

1 8.1

A person who reads and plays new sheet music without practice

noun
/ˈsaɪtˌriːdər/

Specialized

: lector a primera vista

Although he struggled with improvisation, he was a gifted sightreader in the orchestra.

Examples

As a talented sightreader, she could play any sheet music set before her.
It's important for a professional musician to be an excellent sightreader.
She is an excellent sightreader.
Many sightreaders can play complex pieces instantly.
As a skilled musician, she was praised for being an exceptional sightreader during the audition.
The conductor requested a sightreader to join the orchestra for the last-minute performance.
Being a talented sightreader, he could flawlessly interpret the music without any rehearsal.

Surface Forms

sightreader singular

sightreaders plural

Morphology

sightreader = sight-read (transparent) = sight + read + er

The agentive '-er' is added to the verb 'sight-read' to indicate a person who performs that action; the meaning is directly derivable.

Etymology

Sightreader combines sight ('seeing') and read ('to understand written words'). So a sightreader is someone who can look at sheet music and play it right away, which is why we say they 'read at first sight'.