"Exactly how I feel when I conduct"

"Exactly how I feel when I conduct"

We did it! On Wednesday Birmingham Symphony Hall and the CBSO (City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra) organized a delightful post-concert reception, to present my painting of Music Director Andris Nelsons conducting Beethoven's Seventh Symphony. As he viewed the painting after the photo shoot, Andris said “It's an amazing piece of art and exactly how I feel when I conduct”. In case you missed it, scroll down for my own thoughts on the painting and a good reproduction.

I thanked Beethoven and Andris for the overwhelming inspiration of that concert, Jayne Cadbury for the commission and Chief Executive Andrew Jowett for putting together this huge collection (now twenty-nine!) of my works. On Thursday I gave a talk to the Friends of Symphony Hall about how it all started. You'll find the whole story in these blogs.

(Left to right) Andrew Jowett, Roger Burman, Jayne Cadbury, Andris Nelsons and myself.

It means so much to me that my subjects (especially these great musicians) feel an affinity with the results; and Andris was especially warm towards me.

Photos Alan Wood.