A Polyphonic Symphony

During the Buckingham Summer Festival Gino made live drawings, creating a portrait for each performance. He is using these portraits to create an elaborate musical composition for full orchestra.

The symphony drawing will be printed as musical score and exhibition.

The start of this project had its genesis in a discussion with Robert Secret and Gino before the opening night performance Hearing Sound | Seeing Colour at the Radcliffe Centre in collaboration with Christopher Redgate and musicians Celia Redgate, Catriona Scott, José Lluna, Rachel Edmonds and Stephen Robbings.

Throughout the festival Gino made multiple drawings of each performance which he will collage into a polyphonic symphony echoing the festival week.

Below are a sample selection of these drawings as well as the paintings he made for his  "Painted Improvisations"  for Hearing Colour | Seeing Sounds.

Painted Improvisations

Hearing Colour | Seeing Sounds

The Radcliffe Centre

Church Street

Buckingham

14th July - 19th July

2025

Hearing Colour Seeing Sound

Evening Concert

14 Jul 2025, 20:00

The Radcliffe Centre,

Church St, Buckingham MK18 1EG, UK

Beethoven: Quintet for Piano and Winds in E flat major Op. 16

Poulenc: Sextet for Piano and Wind Quintet

Christopher Redgate: Sextet for Piano and Winds (Premiere)

Debussy: Syrinx (for solo flute)

Christopher Redgate - Oboe

Gino Ballantyne - Artist

Celia Redgate - Flute

Catriona Scott - Clarinet

José Lluna - Horn

Rachel Edmonds - Bassoon

Stephen Robbings - Piano

Hearing Colour Seeing Sound is a unique concert blending live music and visual art. As the music plays, artist Gino Ballantyne will paint live on stage in response. At its heart is a creative exchange between artist and musician. Inspired by Gino’s drawings Christopher Redgate composed a new piece for wind sextet. Gino will respond to this and other pieces, with Chris improvising a solo in reply—continuing their artistic conversation live.

Sponsored by: Tina Mitchell, in memory of Ray