There’s going to be some ice broken at Carnegie Hall on May 30.

The Danish accordionist Bjarke Mogensen will be making his debut in works by Sofia Gubaidulina, Sergei Prokofiev, Domenico Scarlatti, a world premiere by the young British composer, Nick Martin, as well as works by the Danish composers Martin Lohse and Ole Schmidt.

It appears to be the first time in a hundred-odd years the hall has heard a classical accordion. Anyone notice? Anyone awake in the press office?Hello…. I know it’s Friday but there might be a story here.

Mogensen is a phenomenon in Denmark and and an astonishment on record: once heard never forgotten.

Even if Carnegie fails to notice, don’t miss the recital.

Jonas Kaufmann and Olga Borodina have withdrawn from the Met’s tour of Japan. Borodina has ‘vocal issues’.

Kaufmann’s excuse? ‘Personal reasons’. Oh, so that’s all right then.

Music director James Levine is already out for all the obvious reasons.

This tour is stating to feel more than a little half-hearted.

The replacements for the two dropout singers are Yonghoon Lee and Ekaterina Gubanova, evidently the best available at short notice.

It does make you wish the Met showed half as much enthusiasm for the visit to stricken Japan as the Korean musicians just did.

Bookmakers across Sussex are taking bets on the identity of the charming young lady on the left in Grayson Perry’s festival cover.

Since superinjunctions are being sought by several eminent singers of the recent past, some of whom should feel seriously flattered by the representation, the best we can do is narrow down the search to one of the following categories (complete with current odds).

Who is she?

1 A member of the Glyndebourne household, 5/1

2 A member of the household cavalry, 11/2

3 A member of the marketing department, (hot tip, 8/1)

4 One of Gareth Malone’s work experience singers, 12/1

5 The next Donna Anna, 16/1

6 One of the cleaning staff, 25/1

7 Susan Boyle, 33/1

8 A member of the audience, 100/1

The appalling euphemism ‘comfort women’ has soured relations between Japanese and Koreans ever since the occupying power abused human rights on an appalling scale during the Second World War.

But time can heal, and so does music.

The Korean conductor Myung Whun Chung was in Japan with the Czech Philharmonic when the earthquake and tsunamis struck. His orchestra was airlifted out by the Czech army over his frustrated objections, but he was determined to return. Other musical organisations cancelled their visits to Japan for the rest of the year.

A tour had already been discussed with the Seoul Philharmonic. A sponsor was found, the Woori Bank of Korea. Musicians, staff and all connected with the orchestra gave their services for free as a gesture of human solidarity with the Japanese people.  The young Japanese violinist Sayaka Shoji (who was meant to play with the Czech Phil.) joined the party.

The tour ended in emotional scenes at Suntory Hall last night. At the final concert, 17 musicians from the Tokyo Philharmonic joined the ensemble as well as the Principal Cellist from the NHK. ‘I have never seen anything so emotional in a concert hall,’ SPO artistic advisor Michael Fine tells me. ‘The orchestra was called back after leaving the stage post-encore and then Myung Whun as well. People wouldn’t stop applauding. Aside from the money we will contribute, the simple gesture of being here is apparently important, considering the antique enmity between Korea and Japan as well as the current disputes.’

Music has the power to bring harmony between nations. Every now and then, it does.