noun
wind and string instruments; music
Refers collectively to wind and string instruments, often in the context of classical or orchestral music. Can also mean music in a general, somewhat literary sense.
管弦楽団の演奏を聴きに行った。
I went to hear a performance by the orchestra.
彼は管弦の調べに心を癒やした。
He was soothed by the sound of wind and string instruments.
管弦楽 specifically means orchestral music, while 管弦 is a broader term for wind and string instruments or music in general.
Compound of 管 (wind instruments) and 弦 (string instruments). The spelling 管絃 is a traditional variant where 絃 is an older form of 弦.