Korean violinist Hyeyoon Park made her debut with Royal Northern Sinfonia at Sage Gateshead playing Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No 2; not only to a hall full of orchestral managers attending a convention, but live to the nation and beyond on BBC Radio 3. So no pressure there.

And then, at the start of the last movement, what every violinist must dread happened – a string snapped.

In a moment of high drama Park spun on her heels, swopped her instrument with orchestra leader Bradley Creswick and, without missing a beat, continued to blaze through its boisterous folk dances.

In what must be one of the quickest repairs, Creswick restrung her violin and swopped it back again, so Park could cross the finishing line with her own instrument.

It was musicianship of the highest order.

Park returned after the interval to front a rare outing of Sibelius’ Suite for Violin and Strings.

The gem, which lay undiscovered for 60 years, vividly evokes the landscape of Finland so dear to the composer’s heart.

The Country Scenery movement had a joyful lilt, while the concluding In the Summer featured scorching bowing by Park over precise pizzicato playing by the strings.

The programme was bookended by Mark Anthony-Turnage’s A Quiet Life from Etudes and Elegies and Beethoven ‘s Symphony No 5.

The Fifth’s opening bars, featuring the famous four-note motif, were delivered with a sense of urgency.

Maestro Ainars Rubikis injected the old war horse of the repertoire with a renewed vigour, setting a brisk pace through the opening movement, nimbly negotiating the Andante and giving the orchestra full rein in a thrilling dash to the climax.