THE Serbian violinist Nemanja Radulovic has stormed the classical music world and he has done much the same with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

The BSO faithful have taken the charming and charismatic Radulovic to their hearts and he them.

At the end of an astonishing and at times blistering recital at the Lighthouse, he patted his heart in appreciation of the rapturous applause and told the audience as he bade farewell: "It has been a pleasure to meet you."

The concert marked the end of his tenure as Artist in Residence but there's no doubt he will be back.

The BSO has an incredible track record in attracting true stars to this position, but Radulovic, who looks as much rock star asclassical musician, is surely one of the brightest ever.

So the evening was not one for the BSO itself, just the violinist and his piano partner, Laure Favre-Kahn on stage.

It's even easier to appreciate this extraordinary talent in such a minimal setting.

The evening opened with JS Bach's Chaconne from Partita No 2.

Radulovic was then joined by Favre-Kahn for Prokofiev's Violin Sonata No 2, a piece he composed in 1943 as the battle on the Eastern Front between Russia and Nazi Germany was at its fiercest and most bloody.

After the interval came Franck's Sonata for Violin and Piano and Wieniawski's Variations on an Original Theme, with a quite extraordinarily intense and exciting finale.

Radulovic had his audience spellbound for the entire concert and the wild cheers at the end indicated just how much he has wowed local music lovers.

It is indeed a privilege to see such a genius up close and unplugged.