"Lucas Debargue gave a hair-raising version of Sergei Rachmaninoff's Concerto No. 2 carried by an incandescent ONPL under the vehement and passionate direction of the American-Taiwanese conductor Mei-Ann Chen. ... Her way of literally grabbing the orchestra by soliciting it to the maximum was quite spectacular, with her way of digging the string register into its depth and with a predominance of brass instruments particularly exposed in the two works of the program, as if the conductor wanted to reach the legendary power of American orchestras....
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After the intermission, Antonín Dvořák's New World Symphony confirmed Mei-Ann Chen's expressive style on the screen, particularly at ease in this colourful score in which she delivered a powerful breath. With accurate and energetic tempi, she has built this well-known work with persuasive gestures.... The three concerts in Angers, Nantes and La Roche-sur-Yon are sold out, a way of saluting both the program and the presence of the two guests."