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(Source: DailyMail.Co.UK) A British child prodigy is set to make history as the world’s youngest orchestra conductor at just 11 years old.
Talented Matthew Smith is a Grade 5 standard violinist and also plays the guitar, drums, piano and viola.
Incredibly he will take the lead when Nottingham Symphony Orchestra (NSO) play Die Fledermaus at the Royal Concert Hall in the city on April 2.
The concert will make Matthew the world’s youngest ever conductor, a record previously held by 14-year-old Jose Angel Salazar who oversaw 70 musicians in his native Venezuela.
The schoolboy has been practicing with the 75-strong NSO orchestra once a week and took part in a rehearsal at a local school on Monday.
Matthew said he can conduct the whole of Johann Strauss’ operetta Die Fledermaus from memory.
The youngster, who lives in Carlton, Nottingham, added ‘I first listened to Die Fledermaus when I was seven-years-old.
‘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.