FRANK Zielhorst may not be everyone's idea of a classical music conductor. At least not at first glance.

I'd last seen him a couple of weeks earlier on a sunny Saturday evening, casually sitting at the bottom of the Bournemouth Pavilion steps overlooking the gardens, takeaway espresso in one hand, a book about the World War Two in the other.

He was waiting to watch the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra's annual benevolent concert of Ron Goodwin classics.

A bit of a Busman's Holiday, (or an evening anyway) for the amiable Dutchman.

On a Tuesday afternoon, after rehearsals, you'll find the BSO's Young Conductor in Association playing football (he loves the game) in Poole Park with other members of the orchestra.

They even bring their own mini goals.

And if you're in Poole, you may well see him bicycling around the town to and from work at the Lighthouse or just enjoying a day off.

"I was riding home from Sainsbury's with my shopping under my arm the other day when a couple of boys shouted over to me," he recounted.

"Aren't you that guy from the Lighthouse," one of them asked him.

The boy aged about eight had been to a recent schools concert and began humming a piece of music he had heard there.

"It really made my day," said Zielhorst. "It was great that he remembered the experience and that we had made music accessible for him. And maybe he'll listen to more pieces, who knows?"

The 31-year-old is coming to the end of his two year tenure with the BSO.

It has been, he says, an incredible experience.

Not just the music of course, but also the role the orchestra plays in the community.

"It's very different to how things are in the Netherlands where I had all my musical education and grounding, first learning the viola.

"It serves the community so well across almost the whole of Southern England, but particularly here in Dorset. The schools, the hospitals, the care homes for instance. It's amazing. It's just one of the ways in which the BSO is quite extraordinary. There is no orchestra in the Netherlands that does so many things."

The philosophy of the BSO is similar to Zielhorst's personal one.

"I love immersing myself in the place I live. I want to know the person who serves me coffee or the name of the guy in the fruit market. I love being part of the community. It's great on a Wednesday night when I meet so many supporters of the orchestra before and after the concerts and can chat with them."

Zielhorst was one of around 150 who applied for the Young Conductor post and one of twelve shortlisted.

There were six pieces of music in his audition including Elgar's Enigma Variations and Stravinsky's The Firebird.

Ultimately the orchestra voted for him which probably explains the obvious rapport he has with the players. He has a pretty good one with the audience too.

"I think the audition is pretty tough, partly to see how versatile you are.

"If you do this job you have to study a new programme every week. You are either conducting or assisting the chief conductor, Kirill (Karabits), or the guest conductors. You have to process all that music and be ready to step in at the last minute if a conductor is late or has to cancel. You really have to be at the top of your game to do that.

"The BSO is a fantastic orchestra. We are very lucky to have Kirill who is a world class conductor and you only have to look at the history and tradition of the BSO to see what a great institution it is."

The audiences love the Dutchman, his energy, boundless enthusiasm and infectious personality, his bouncing up and down on the podium.

I have seen that for myself at a number of concerts.

He has the greatest of respect for the composers whose work he conducts, not least because he has tried his hand at composing himself.

"I feel a great responsibility to show the genius of the composers and to do them justice.

"I tried to compose myself in high school and I tried and tried and tried but I couldn't do it. I know how difficult it is to put a note on a page so I have the utmost respect for anyone who can do that."

He has plenty of treasured memories from his time with the BSO.

He was delighted to conduct Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony and recently Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade at the Pavilion, "both pieces very dear to me."

Richard Strauss' Salome at the start of the current season was another huge highlight.

"I still very much remember my first concert with the BSO in Yeovil back in 2014.

"It went very well. I was very nervous at the start but I was elated afterwards. I felt that now I was part of the orchestra, part of the BSO family. And it really feels like a family. I think it's unique like that."

Zielhorst has one more BSO engagement before he leaves. And it's a big one.

He's conducting the opening night of the first Proms in the Park for five years.

The Friday Classical Extravaganza will feature pieces from Bizet’s Carmen, Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries, Rossini’s Barber of Seville Overture and music by the master of the film score, John Williams.

And it won't be the last audience and musicians will see of the popular, bicycling, football loving conductor who will base himself in London to further his career, rather than return to the Netherlands.

He'll be making a number of guest appearances with the BSO next season having been invited back already by 'the management.'

And judging by his smile as he explains this, the Den Haag supporting Zielhorst who loves using football analogies about his work, is absolutely delighted at the prospect.

Music, it's a funny old game Frank.

The Proms in the Park takes place in Meyrick Park on August 5,6,7.

The Classical Extravaganza in on the Friday.

Pete Harrison conducts Symphonic Abba on the Saturday and there are lots of events on Sunday's family fun day.

For more and tickets see bsolive.com