Kerrie Lester A man and his music: Peter Weiss and the Australia Chamber Orchestra

A leading force in the Australian fashion industry for more than 20 years, Peter Weiss is an arts patron and sponsors the Sydney Symphony Orchestra as well as the Australian Chamber Orchestra.

‘He loves cello music and he wanted to be a cellist when he was growing up. Now he sponsors the principal cellist in the Australian Chamber Orchestra,’ says Kerrie Lester who has painted Weiss for her 1995 Archibald portrait with members of the ACO in the background – a difficult logistical exercise, she says, getting so many people to sit together.

‘The orchestra is an extension of his character and the portrait is a reflection of what he thinks about – it is about his personality rather than how he looks,’ she says, although she also observes, ‘He has a strong face and features, and he is perfect for my style of painting.’

This work is now in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra.