I'm not a pro, and wouldn't see myself becoming bored as a straight performer, unlike the talented people at Orpheus. I'm not qualified to conduct, nosiree. But OCC has 27 headstrong and capable individuals who all chafe a bit under the baton. No wonder they break up into "core" units to make the initial rehearsals a bit more manageable! Sounds a bit precarious to me, and without inculcation from the old-timers I could easily see it devolving into a mess.

The conductor has a better shot at hearing the performers then the performers do - I had the experience of singing near the orchestra's percussion section and all I could hear were drums, drums, drums. But the podium isn't all that perfect a listening post either (as you mention), and I'll guess that during tech rehearsal the conductor frequently wears a set of headphones tended by the sound desk.