As a cellist, I have always cherished a global perspective. I was fortunate to study in London for three years, and for decades I toured internationally as an orchestral and chamber musician.

Fidelio Quartet

Rachel Atkinson and the Fidelio Quartet. Photo supplied

On tour, it was always a joy and privilege to share a desk with a musician from another orchestra, and to talk to members of the audience after a performance. Sometimes, during the applause I would be moved and have to choke back tears, overwhelmed by the glorious surrounds of a new concert hall.

I loved learning about a city from the way its audience responded to music, and it was always a thrill to read the reviews in the local papers the following morning, sometimes having to look up an unfamiliar adjective.

There is a special kind of camaraderie, a bond that is formed between musicians under the limitations of time you experience on tour, and in practising your craft away from home. For a musician living 24 hours away by plane, studying and performing overseas is deeply significant. Europe is undeniably the source of Western classical music, and it...