Internationally renowned violinist Shlomo Mintz was no doubt the main draw and he played with well-honed artistry, while the Sinfonietta put on a good show under music director Yip Wing-sie.

The evening began with an emotive orchestral performance of Elgar's Salut d'amour in memory of the Sinfonietta's former executive committee chairman Chiu Sin-sing, who died recently.

The wistful air was soon dispelled by the unsettling cacophony of the Hong Kong premiere of Angel On-ki Lam's Symphonic Journal: Ambush from Ten Directions. The piece was a narrative - spoken by Chung Ying Theatre's Elton Lau - with musical illustration. It charted the experience of a 'time-travelling journalist' whose journey started in 2033 and then went backwards to 202 BC to cover a famous battle in Chinese history.

It cannot be said that the script was of the highest literary quality, but musically there were some vivid orchestral effects.

Haydn's Symphony No 104 (London) was a lively rendition with generally quick tempos. Although intonation and ensemble precision were not exactly meritorious, the strings played energetically with opulent sound.

Beethoven's Violin Concerto in D was last on the programme, with Mintz playing out his shimmering and unforced tone.

His lyricism was most moving in the slow movement, while his unaffected style made virtuosity sound effortless. The Sinfonietta responded with playing that could be powerful or whispering as needed.