An expertly guided tour of Czechia, with a remarkable side trip to Finland, marked the eagerly awaited Australian debut of 24-year-old Swedish violinist Daniel Lozakovich with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in triumphant form under the baton of Tomáš Netopil.

The young virtuoso, who made history when he was signed to Deutsche Grammophon at the age of 15, has been stunning audiences in Europe and Asia with his assured and mature stage presence and awe-inspiring technique. He can do all the tricks, with an almost nonchalant ease, but what interests him is the composer and the music that he is playing.

This was apparent from the other-worldly opening bars of Jean Sibelius’s technically formidable concerto. Lozakovich believes the music is about the man, not the landscape or nature. Written when the composer’s alcoholism was out of control and he was heavily in debt, you could feel the pain and anger under the slim soloist’s fingers and formidable bowing arm.

What a weapon this proved to be as he guided his 1713 “ex-Sancy” Stradivarius through the tortured and torturous double-stopped runs and cross-string aerobatics of the mighty cadenza in the first movement.

If this was not miraculous enough, the Adagio’s gorgeous tune unfurled like a...