Performer: Juilliard Orchestra

The celebrated soprano leads the students of the Juilliard in an enjoyable concert that falters on the side of keeping an even keel.

Sung in English, a performance of Káťa Kabanová lacked the expressive power of the original, but exposed Juilliard Opera students to the marvels of Janáček’s musical style.

Itzhak Perlman led the Juilliard Orchestra in a program of Tchaikovsky touchingly dedicated Pierre Boulez.

Generally, opera doesn’t give old age much of a look-in, but the closing scene of Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen, written in Janáček’s old age, is an exception, as the Forester muses on the passing of time and the renewing cycle of life. In today’s Juilliard School production, Aubrey Allicock gave us the most touching and thoughtful of renderings.

Symphonic evocations of ancient Rome and 1950s Los Angeles filled the Royal Albert Hall last night, with John Adams conducting a combined orchestra of students from London's Royal Academy of Music and New York's Juilliard School. Between these pieces, by Respighi and Adams himself, the players were joined by pianist Imogen Cooper for Ravel's G major concerto.