Laurence Equilbey. Photo ©Jean-Baptiste Millot

If the name Laurence Equilbey doesn’t mean much to you, it’s time it did. The most stylish of French female conductors, she runs a period band called Insula Orchestra that normally plays on an island in the River Seine in Paris and has gathered serious acclaim during the past few years – to which I can attest, having been there, heard them, and been impressed.

Next week she brings the band to London for a period-conscious concert performance of Weber’s opera Der Freischütz – a gothic-horror piece about desire, magic and the devil that’s entirely suitable for the aftermath of Halloween. Take garlic and enjoy.

• Weber’s Der Freischutz, 7pm, £15-£56, November 4, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS, 020 7638 8891, www.barbican.org.uk