When the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra heads back to the Town Hall on Thursday, it will be music to the ears of its audiences, musicians and behind-the-scenes staff - but it will be extra special for one member of its team.
Despite joining the APO as its director of artistic planning in March, the Covid-19 pandemic meant Gale Mahood spent her first few weeks in the country in lockdown at home and has yet to hear the orchestra play live in a packed concert hall.
Mahood arrived in Auckland from Germany on St Patrick's Day intending to spend the next week watching the APO's contributions to worldwide celebrations marking Beethoven's 250th birthday. She says she owes the fact that she arrived in New Zealand before borders closed and lockdown started to Beethoven.
"Thank goodness for Beethoven. It's because of him I got here two days before they shut the borders."
But those performances, part of the Auckland Arts Festival, were cancelled along with everything else for the foreseeable future when public gatherings were strictly prohibited as we stayed home in lockdown.