“Dalia Stasevska brought fire and elan to the action, taking the players from spun-glass delicacy to vigorous bellicosity … was in every sense the concert’s star, amplifying the sense of bravery and defiance that made it a memorable first night.”

“Stasevska’s Sibelian credentials are impeccable. From the brass snarls at the beginning, Stasevska led a fierce, defiant account, until the entry of the chorus in the noble central hymn. The BBC SO played out of their skins for Stasevska, her dramatic gestures firing up the explosive timpani and whistling piccolo in the opening tempest.”

“Dalia Stasevska conducts Britten’s filigree score with bold colours and tougher accents than many, giving this revival its own self- confident air.”

“It was the kind of performance that, without trying to, had audience members roaring with applause after the first movement, then, at the end, immediately rising for a standing ovation — one of the most passionate I’ve heard at Geffen Hall this season.”

“With her inventive and well-conducted program, it’s no surprise that she is turning heads around the world.”

“She was thrilling to watch and ignited the orchestra with sheer force of personality, making for a very exciting performance.”

“Stasevska is an important talent. Throughout the program, her time-keeping was rock solid, her cues impeccable, her musical understanding and commitment to these pieces unwavering.”

“The best was saved until last. Dalia Stasevska, the young Finnish conductor on the podium, had until this point been content to guide things with skilful modesty. Now suddenly she came alive, shaping a performance of Sibelius’s Second Symphony that had me absolutely on the edge of my seat. The sheer urgency of the music, the way it has to struggle against its own tendency to disintegration and find a path to heroic affirmation has rarely seemed so thrilling.”

“Stasevska made the intensity ignite immediately. The performance was painted with a large brush, without slipping out of precision. The sound was great and full-bodied. I remember thinking earlier that Stasevska has a special ability to build extremely long phrases. This was emphasized in the interpretation of Fantasy.”

“Stasevska’s abundant talents delivered one of the best performances of Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique Symphony I’ve heard: fresh, clear, urgent, completely faithful to the score and the composer’s intent. Tempi were bracing and balletic. The 5/4 second movement glided through the hall with ballroom grace and she kept driving the impulsion forward throughout the sobbing finale, where so many conductors tend to drag their feet.”

“By the end, laurels won, the packed audience hungry for more, she had the orchestra right behind her, flying triumphant. This was an auspicious Proms debut, expectant and adrenalin-charged.”

“She is full of energy and conducted the chorus with power and control.”

“Stasevska knows how to shout and to whisper. […] From the very beginning it was clear that her approach never sees classical music as a ​‘charming entertainment’. Instead she comes across as a fully mature artist whose interpretations have real power and vision. She conducts with immense intensity and control, but at the same time has understanding for small nuances. […] Let us follow Stasevska’s career very attentively and hopefully for a long time!”

“Dalia Stasevska conducted with dedication. From the very beginning, she almost seemed to be an inseparable part of Janáček’s music, its freshness and naturalness.”