“It’s just a pity that I can’t give this concert six stars. Right from those impassioned opening bars, it was clear that the Halle players and their new principal conductor Kahchun Wong had Mahler’s Second Symphony, the ​‘Resurrection’ completely in their grip.”

“Kahchun Wong conducted from memory, illuminating the Overture’s structure, highlighting detail and drawing vivid instrumental colour from his players.”

“Wong made it as clear as possible, every nuance painstakingly, lovingly observed and, dancing on the podium like a latter-day Rozhdestvensky, brought this extraordinary, ensuring masterpiece,(too often misleadingly described as ​“a Soviet artist’s reply to just criticism”) so vividly to life. It was close to hearing it for the first time.”

“Wong was a sensitive and sympathetic accompanist, revealing more of his undoubted skills as orchestra maestro as he explores relatively novel ground in his first Halle season as principal conductor.”

“The balanced sound of muted trumpets and trombones united with soft woodwind was magical here in Wong’s hands …”

“There is something spacious in Wong’s direction … which seems to conjure a tangible sense of theatrical presence while bringing a visceral physical brilliance to Britten’s kaleidoscopic invention.”

“Wong especially impressed in the scherzo, weighting down the thrusting chords in the music’s diabolic dance, underlining the contrast with the trio section’s weirdly scurrying, disembodied notes.”

“Any competent maestro can whip up a big noise, but it’s a lot harder to make meaning out of silence. Wong has the knack: he’s one to watch.”

“His [Kahchun’s] path is one audiences and music-lovers will continue to watch with rapt attention, each gesture of his baton promising a future as thrilling and transformative as the music he commands from the podium today.”

“…this rich smorgasbord of sound and colour led by Wong could be described in two words: Absolutely brilliant.”