Erlend Vestby

I had the privilege of study together with Chris at the RCM in London since 2017\. His pure joy of life, music and people gave an extra important dimension to the social and professional life in college.

I would like to share with you this movement of E. Elgar’s Cello Concerto that Chris and I recorded at the RCM in February this year. For the past 1,5 years I have been researching early 20^th century performance practice on Elgar’s Concerto. Chris joined me early on and conducted this orchestra of mutual friends from across London. It was a project he had a great enthusiasm and belief in, just like he had for any creative musical projects a little out of the normal. He talked about it wherever he went with whoever he met. We presented our work and the recording at the RCM on February 27^th, which was, as far as I know, the last thing he did there in college. This is a way of making music he rightly called “high risk” playing, connecting this with his long experience in conducting operas of Puccini and Mascagni. We were in the early planning of bringing this to orchestras in Norway once we could start playing concerts again, as this way of making music stood close to his heart. I am sure you can see, hear, and feel this from the video by his elegant and natural movements, perfect control over the score, and the emphatic aura he expresses.

Thank you, Christopher for your ever positive energy, inclusiveness, enthusiasm, belief in others, wisdom and professionalism. You have been a great inspiration to me, and you had the rare ability of making everyone around you stronger and happier. You will be much missed!