PHILHARMONIC first nights are party nights. This time, there’s much to celebrate. For starters, it’s an end to those summer months in the North-West when there’s no classical music available anywhere.

But, last night, Phil chairman, Lorraine Rogers, announced to a completely packed Philharmonic Hall that Vasily Petrenko, restyled chief conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, was staying until 2015.

ŠŠThere were gasps of delight from the audience – and rightly so.

Š And Petrenko, evidently the darling of Liverpool audiences, milked the moment by gesturing to the orchestra and saying: “This is my family. Please enjoy being part of it.”

Š People obviously like being part of the family.

To see all the choir seats sold takes many of us back to the 1960s when Liverpool audiences were keen to hear challenging music. That’s the way it should be. It’s the way it will be now Maestro Petrenko is on the podium for six more years.

Š He chose to open with a striking programme of Rachmaninov and Shostakovich. His partnership with pianist Simon Trpceski was stunning. Trpceski has been to Liverpool several times before this performance, each time playing Russian repertoire, therefore carving something of a niche.

Š There was a very deliberate, sustained and almost understated opening to the first movement of Rachmaninov’s sublime Piano Concerto No 3 in D minor. Trpceski’s performance was insightful and his partnership with Petrenko was quite special. There were some wonderfully haunting moments here, but yet the cadenza was particularly powerful.

Š The intense melodic development of the slow movement revealed Rachmaninov as one of the most clever spinners of melody who must ever have sat before a blank sheet of manuscript paper. Once again, the relationship of soloist and conductor was finely balanced, melting into the variations which form the finale. Here, Petrenko exploited the orchestra to its fullest degree.