Nottingham’s Matthew Smith will be conducting his first concert on 2 April with Nottingham Symphony Orchestra (NSO), taking the lead for Strauss’ Die Fledermaus.
The Sneinton C of E Primary school pupil is a Grade 5 standard violinist, plays the guitar, drums, piano and viola and has been engaged in conducting lessons to prepare for Nottingham’s oldest orchestra’s Animal Magic! extravaganza.
“I first listened to Die Fledermaus when I was seven years old,” said Matthew, who lives in Carlton with his parents.
“I’d seen a video of a young child conducting the nine minute piece and really wanted to give it a go – I managed to conduct the whole thing a few weeks later.
“I have been rehearsing with NSO for a couple of weeks now and it’s sounding really good. There are some difficult parts where the music gets faster so I have to move my arms more but I’m getting the hang of it.
“I’ve been practising a lot and can now conduct the whole piece from memory and I’m really excited to put my skills to the test and conduct a real orchestra,” added Matthew.
Animal Magic! will also feature Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky’s Firebird and Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev.
“This is an exciting programme and we’re excited to welcome Matthew, showcasing what fantastic talent we have here in Nottingham,” said Derek Williams, NSO conductor.
“I spotted Matthew’s musical talent very early on in his musical tuition as I’ve been teaching him the violin for five years. There aren’t many children who have the ability to conduct a 75-strong orchestra from memory and it’s a really incredible thing to witness.
“We have so many talented young people in Nottingham and we’re delighted to be able to support them as the concert will also feature the Sandra Taylor School of Dance, Nottinghamshire Children’s Chorus as well as Stagecoach Southwell. These groups will be performing a range of dances and choral accompaniments to the orchestra’s repertoire which is something we’ve never done before,” continued Derek.
The concert (Sunday 2 April, 6pm) is being hosted by BBC Radio Nottingham and Notts TV’s Frances Finn and will be held at the Royal Concert Hall. Tickets are £12 – £22 with concessions available and are available fromtrch.co.uk, the Royal Concert Hall box office (0115 989 5555) or on the door
