Natalie Clein, since winning the BBC's Young Musican of the Year in 1994, has forged a hugely respected career for herself as musician, festival manager and academic. The friday concert at the Sheldonian was a very clear demonstration of how that happened.

She is very much associated with the 19th and 20th Century romantic repertoire such as Brahms, Bruch, Saint-Saëns and Elgar. That after all is the period when the cello developed and matured as an instrument: Bach is something different, and the Suites depict a point in time when the old families of viols were giving place to a new instrument, with new approaches to music-making. So for example the 6th Suite is actually created for a five-string instrument, and is a fiendish challenge on a conventional cello.

It's understandable that for a long time the Suites were regarded as studies for instrument practice, rather than for performance. When presenting them as a concert piece, the performer is completely exposed and cannot hide diffidence. Clein has spoken about her own challenge in ridding herself of physical tension in performance, and the benefit of that work was very much in evidence here.

Her performance was, as usual, undemonstrative but completely authoritative, played on her Guadagnini instrument which is approaching its 240th birthday - can it yet develop an even finer sound as it gets older? There were some extraordinary moments: the sonorous, powerful Sarabande of the 5th Suite was received in rapt silence by the audience, and I was convinced that at its end I could hear everyone starting to breathe again.

The audience was noticeably glowing on their way out of the Sheldonian, and most of us were no doubt anticipating a return for the 'Part II' on 10th June, for the 1st, 2nd and 6th Suites.