Other forms: virtuosos
A virtuoso is a performer of extraordinary technical brilliance. A piano virtuoso, a virtuoso performance, virtuoso technique.
It is about technique rather than feeling, which is why it can be faint praise: a virtuoso performance may leave an audience impressed and unmoved. The plural can be virtuosos or virtuosi. It comes from the Italian for virtuous.
1nounvirtuosoA performer of extraordinary technical brilliance.
“The young violin virtuoso played the difficult piece without a single mistake.”
virtuoso is a performer.
Italian virtuoso means skilled, from Latin virtus, excellence or manliness. Virtuous is a doublet.
Italian
virtuoso
English, today
virtuoso
Borrowed from Italian virtuoso. Italian virtuoso, from Latin virtuōsus (“virtuous”), from Latin virtus (“excellence”). a doublet of virtuous.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA