There have been plenty of Sibelius concerts in Nottingham in the past but surely none to rank with this one. The Finnish Ambassador was there, his National Anthem was played and the works of Finland’s most famous musical export were accompanied by pictures of pine forests, lakes and northern lights.

So there was a lot for conductor Derek Williams and the NSO to live up to. Undaunted, they played their hearts out in pieces that contrasted the tender with the stirring – making it clear why Sibelius is so central to Finnish national identity.

A meltingly beautiful Swan of Tuonela (wonderful cor anglais playing from Victoria Usher) was matched by the brooding energy of the 5th Symphony and the viscerally exciting Finlandia and Lemminkainen’s Return.

The evening’s biggest cheers were reserved for 18-year-old Shira Epstein’s astonishing performance of the Violin Concerto – not just technically dazzling but full of profound imaginative insight.