Well, this concert could have easily fallen apart completely, but, credit to the professionalism of Queensland Symphony Orchestra, it actually went swimmingly. QSO’s Craig Whitehead came onstage before the performance to give the audience the news that Alondra de la Parra had fallen ill just before the concert, and there’d consequently be a few changes to the program. Neither he, nor de la Parra’s social media, gave any further details, other than the fact that de la Parra was en route to the hospital. Let’s hope her recovery is swift.

Nemanja Radulović. Photograph © Lukas Rotter/DG

This meant that the program didn’t begin with Federico Ibarra Groth’s Sinfonia No.2, Las Antesalas del Sueño (a pity, de la Parra’s recording of this from a few years ago is excellent), but instead with Dane Lam conducting the overture to Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice. Apparently Lam was intending to see this concert as an audience member, and only had an hour’s notice to prepare for the performance!

The Gluck is one that he’s currently conducting for Opera Queensland. Given that in that performance Lam was conducting from the pit, I didn’t get to see much of...