Boston maestro prepares for touchdown
As Superbowl LII approached, the conductors of two leading US orchestras pinned their colours firmly to the mast. On one side was Andris Nelsons, music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and a fan of the New England Patriots; on the other, Yannick Nézet-séguin, who, as music director of the Philadelphia Orchestra, cheers on the Philadelphia Eagles. To spice things up, they even indulged in a little wager: whichever maestro ended up on the losing side would wear the opposing team’s shirt in a rehearsal. And with the Patriots the firm favourites, so confident was Nelsons that he posed for a pre-match photo with his musicians (below). The result? See p12.