Natalie Clein performing Elgar’s Cello Concerto was reason enough to be at the Sheldonian on Friday. The event was made even more alluring by the chance to hear the young Venezuelan Christian Vasquez conducting the Philharmonia Orchestra. Not surprisingly, the theatre was packed.

At the age of 16, Clein won the BBC Young Musician of the Year playing the Elgar concerto. She recorded the work in 2007 with Handley and the Liverpool Philharmonic. Her interpretation of this music is darker than that in Jacqueline du Pré’s famous recording. Clein’s playing is astringent and moving, conveying a sense of grief and loss even in the sunnier passages.

During the performance Vasquez was closely attentive to Clein, keeping the orchestra in a fine emotional balance with the soloist. There was a wonderful moment of almost Mahlerian resignation just before the opening theme returned for the last time.

Vasquez is clearly a conductor who knows what he wants. His gestures are precise and economical and he had the Philharmonia playing at the top of its form.

The other major work in the concert was Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.4. The orchestra’s performance was electrifying right from the opening fanfare. Vasquez clearly relishes big works — 19th-century symphonies and concertos dominate his repertoire list. This was as passionate a performance of Tchaikovsky as you could wish for, yet always disciplined and exact. The large opening movement was full of drama. The pizzicato rhythms of the third movement had an engaging spring in their step, and the tempestuous finale was a tour de force, packed with frenetic energy.

After the performance of the cello concerto, Vasquez made Clein take the bow three times before he agreed to join her. At the end of the Tchaikovsky, he moved into the orchestra to acknowledge the contribution of individual members. This generosity seemed wholly natural. Vasquez is a young artist worth looking out for.