Paul Dyer treats Australians to a tasty dessert courtesy of Stefano Montanari – a violinist as cool as an Italian gelato.

Besides running Australia’s preeminent baroque orchestra, Australian Brandenburg chief Paul Dyer seems to have quite a knack for finding special guests to tickle our fancies. Previous hits have included the French countertenor du jour, Philippe Jaroussky and Neapolitan songster Marco Beazley. This time it was a name new to me, I confess, but doubly rewarding to discover a musical personality as engaging as Italian baroque violinist Stefano Montanari.

The program, a perfect blend of the familiar and the new, kicked off with a Veracini concerto that was an Australian world premiere. Montanari, our guest director for the evening, cut quite a dash on the platform, stylishly decked out in snazzy boots, close fitting blacks and assorted wrist bands and jewellery. He exudes charisma, combined with an easy authority, while his terpsichorean playing style is a performance art all of its own. The Veracini was a splendidly festive affair replete with trumpets and drums and featured several violin solos of a refreshing unpredictability. Dyer and the ABO were clearly having a ball joining in with the Italian virtuoso whose...