It was British conductor John Wilson, I think, who opined that the road to hell is paved with people of diverse skills, but that certainly doesn’t seem to be holding back Australian conductor Benjamin Northey. The Ballarat-born maestro may hold an overseas post – in his case Chief Conductor of the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra in New Zealand – but he’s increasingly the go-to for Aussie orchestras on the search for a local baton, and seemingly able to handle his Mozart as easily as accompanying Megan Washington. That the Melbourne Symphony orchestra recently extended his role as Associate Conductor for another four years until the end of 2020 is just the latest endorsement.

Meanwhile, his recent reviews in Limelight – conducting Rautavaara in the Sydney Festival and Copland at the Sydney Opera House – suggest a man of no mean talents when it comes to managing a diverse range of less well-known masterpieces. “I suppose I’ve always been a bit of an all-rounder,” he admits, “and I can understand where John Wilson is coming from, but for me it’s simply a case of...