Young conductor brings French composers to life

What were you doing at 25? For Andrew Atkins, he’s preparing to bring to life Ravel, Berlioz and Faure this weekend when he conducts performance of their works by the Manawatu Sinfonia. The assistant conductor of Orchestra Wellington speaks to Zoë George about why French music is so special, how it’s important to encourage the younger generation into classical music, and who he looks up to in the conducting world.

Conductor Andrew Atkins Photo: Stephen Gibbs