Benjamin Zander

BENJAMIN ZANDER is probably the best-know American conductor at bridging the gap between the hardened professional and the enthusiastic amateur. His Boston Philharmonic Orchestra merges the two, creating a unique spirit of perfection and aspiration. Zander brings his sensitive musicianship together with a sense of marketing. He delights in discovering hidden talents and draws attention to them rather than to himself. Watching him in action I reach for my art supplies and get to work. He loses himself in the music, and audiences love him for that.

Pen and Ink by Michael Johnson

Size: 11x14

About Michael Johnson
The piano has always attracted me as a high-wire act -- taking to the stage with two hours of solo music in a player’s head and risking the chance of audience approval or not. I began as a writer and foreign correspondent but have ended up probing this brave side of the pianist’s personality. I have written at some length about all the pen-and-ink portraits in this exhibit. Some of the drawings have been published in newspapers and magazines, others publicly exhibited. It is gratifying to see how communication just happens. My favorite medium is pen-and-ink on 300-gram mixed-media art paper. I try to avoid cross-hatching for gradations, but achieve the effect with a wash of water over the line on a sable brush.