Undaunted by COVID-19 disruption, concertmaster Natsuko Yoshimoto farewells the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra with a commanding performance of one of Beethoven’s greatest works.

The orchestra will be back in Adelaide Festival Centre’s Festival Theatre in September, as long-serving concertmaster Natsuko Yoshimoto bids the ASO farewell.

The violinist will take her leave at the end of the 2020 season after more than a decade in the role.

Luthiers have been making top-notch string instruments in Italy for centuries. Janet Wilson visits Roberto Cavagnoli in his Cremona studio where he is making copies of the Australian String Quartet’s original Guadagninis. She also asks some of the Australian musicians who play ‘Golden Age’ strings, what makes these highly prized (and pricey) instruments so special?

Conductor Diego Matheuz provides confident leadership in this consistently entertaining concert.

Natsuko Yoshimoto is the newest custodian of the 18th-century violin, which she took for a spin in the orchestra's Season Opening Gala on the weekend.