ANZ has commissioned Archibald Finalist Luke Cornish (aka E.L.K.) to portray Dr Nicholas Milton AM as part of the ANZ Street Portraits Project, which sees a series of murals recognising local people with inspiring stories on unused walls across Sydney.
Internationally acclaimed, Nicholas has an established reputation as one of the leading conductors of his generation, known for his extensive repertoire of concert and opera, dynamic conducting style and charisma.
In 2014, Nicholas was appointed to the prestigious position of General Music Director and Chief Conductor of the State Theater of Saarland, Germany and in 2016 was nominated for a Grammy award for Best Instrumental Solo category for his direction of the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserlautern. In Australia, Nicholas has been the Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Willoughby Symphony since 2001.
Despite his busy international schedule, Nicholas sees his work with the Willoughby Symphony as one of his most important roles and has been instrumental in breaking down traditional barriers for young people getting into classical music by devoting his energy into the formation of an inclusive community orchestra.
“The Willoughby Symphony remains my heart and passion. As always, working with this orchestra is an incomparable thrill, not only for me but for audiences that are always ignited by the electrical energy on stage with this wonderful group of musicians,” said Nicholas. “The musicians are like family, that’s why I intend to continue with this orchestra as long as I can keep my arms up,” he said.
Sydney-based artist Luke Cornish is renowned for creating unique, powerful images from handmade stencils. His rise within the contemporary art world has been impressive, becoming the first artist to be nominated for the Archibald Prize with a portrait created entirely out of stencils.
The portrait is featured on an exterior wall of The Concourse, Chatswood, home of Nicholas’ beloved Willoughby Symphony, where it will remain for a period of six months.
