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Fiddle elite group - the one playing to the audience (15)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

instrumentalist

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'audience' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I can't see how they can define each other.

'fiddle elite group the one playing to the' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'elite' could be 'alist' (I've seen this in another clue) and 'alist' is located in the answer.
'the' could be 't' (the is pronounced as a 't' sound in some dialects) and 't' is found in the answer.
'one' could be 'me' (a setter might use 'one' to humourously mean 'me') and 'me' is present in the answer.
'group' could be 'run' (run is a kind of group) and 'run' is located in the leftover letters.
'playing' could be 'in' and 'in' is present in the answer.
'to the' could be 't' (the is pronounced as a 't' sound in some dialects) and 't' is present in the answer.
A single letter 's' remains which might be clued in a way I don't see.
This explanation may well be incorrect...

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for instrumentalist that I've seen before include "one of the band" , "oboe, perhaps" , "musician" .)

I've seen this clue in The Irish Times.
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