Jul 1984: Simon Rattle, aged 29 and already with a busy international career, conducted Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony for the first time.

Sep 1989: Steven Isserlis played the Rococo variations. He returned 1n 1993 to play the Barber and again in 1996 for the Haydn cello concerto.

May 1989: Nigel Kennedy performed the Four Seasons. His famous recording was released 3 months later. It was alsoMark Shanahan’s first concert with HCO.

Between 1989 and 2006 he conducted us in 20 concerts.

1991: Mark Elder conducted a children’s concert and returned in 1995 to conduct a concert with Lesley Garrett and Imogen Cooper.

1994: Concert directed by the late Emmanuel Hurwitz CBE

Between 1993 and 2003 Sir Colin Davis conducted the orchestra on five occasions.Two of these, in 2000 and 2003, were with Imogen Cooper. Ms Cooper has given 5 concerts with HCO, two with Sian Edwards.

Sep 2002: Guy Johnston played the Brahms double concerto with his brother Magnus. Guy has returned for five more concerts, in 2004, 2005, 2008, 2010 and 2012.

2004: Robin Ticciati conducted his first concert with HCO. Between 2004 and 2009 he returned for 5 more.

2005: Nicholas Collon conductedSchubert’s 5th symphony and theSibelius violin concerto (with Sara Trickey). By 2010 he had returned on 10 other occasions.

2009: Robin Ticciati, aged 27, conducted Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony for the first time.