11-year-old conducts a 75-piece orchestra and what are you doing with your life
This is Matthew Smith, an 11-year-old from Nottingham who casually conducted the city's 75-piece Symphony Orchestra on Sunday night:
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
At the Royal Concert Hall, Smith conducted Johann Strauss' operetta Die Fledermaus, a piece he's been listening to since he was 7.
You can watch an extract here:
Before the performance, Smith told the Nottingham Post he was excited to see all instruments coming together to make one sound under his direction:
"I am kind of famous – some people ask for my autograph when I am walking to school now!
"I don't know if conducting will be my future but I will carry on doing music. I know one day that I will conduct again. Staying in time and knowing when to go and when to stop – that's what makes a good conductor."
Last month, the boy, who has already reached Grade 5 violin and also plays drums, guitar, piano and viola, said he was inspired after he saw a video of a 7-year-old Uzbek conducting the same piece.
“At first I was nervous but you just get used to doing it, but the thing is you just have to keep counting the beats,” he told Sky News.
