Conductor says orchestra is even bigger and better

When Brian Wright lifts his baton to conduct the Maidstone Symphony Orchestra in its first concert of the new season, it will be with more than a little familiarity.

This season is Mr Wright’s 26th season as the community orchestra’s conductor and music director.

He said: “It has grown tremendously over that time, both in numbers and quality. When I started in 1991, we had only four first violins, now there are 18. We didn’t really have a brass section, but over the years brass players have just appeared, often joining us from Army bands.

“In the 1990s, the orchestra probably was a bit elitist. Today we have a much wider cross section of the community. Our players include an ex-ambassador and three taxi drivers.”

Audiences too have changed. He said: “A few years ago, we were frankly in danger of the audience dying off; they were all elderly.

“Today we have a much younger crowd and regular attendances of 500 or more. We’re very lucky in Kent to have a great many good music teachers, so the quality of our players is very high.”

Sometimes that’s because the players have passed through music college with the ability and expectation of playing professionally, only to find the opportunities from earning a livelihood from music are limited. Mr Wright’s own son Nicholas gave up playing the trumpet to pursue a more lucrative career as a lawyer.

Mr Wright, who was born in Pembury and grew up in Ton- bridge, now lives in Bexhill-onSea, East Sussex, with Sue, his wife of 45 years.

He also advises the MSO committee on which soloists to engage, the music programme, and uses his design skills to create the flyers and leaflets.

Mr Wright has been an assistant to Andre Previn and the London Symphony Orchestra and associate conductor to the BBC orchestra for 10 years.

As a freelance conductor, he has led all the major London professional orchestras even taking the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on its first tour of China.