Performer: Aquiles Machado

Ken-David Masur and James Burton step in for Gustavo Dudamel in a program featuring Antonio Estévez' Cantata criolla.

In the climax of the season at Bridgewater Hall, the BBC Philharmonic bid a fond farewell to Juanjo Mena in an evening that blew off your sombrero. 

The visual results are stunning, though an uneven cast made this a performance with clear weaknesses as well as strengths. Aquiles Machado's Cavaradossi, on the other hand, was an indubitable revelation.