The 24-year-old, in her first audition, has just won the viola principal position in a 100-year-old Finnish orchestra.
"It was a complete surprise. It's what you dream of when you're studying in Dunedin; to eventually go off and get a principal job in a good orchestra," she said yesterday.
"Once you leave studying, even if you're good, it usually takes years to build up contacts and work. You also have to be in the right place at the right time.
"I feel very lucky to be given the opportunity to lead a section at my age. You can play in an orchestra until you're 65 and never be a principal," she said.
Ms Bevin has already met the Lahti Symphony Orchestra's eight-strong viola section.
"The fun part is I get to play the solos and make sure the section is unanimous in the way they're playing. You've also got to resolve any conflicts, although they're usually things like 'He's standing too close to my music stand'."
Ms Bevin only auditioned for the position because it was an opportunity to visit her brother, Michael, in Estonia.
"I'm still slightly stunned and I'm very excited. It's a big step up from extra work in London.
"Finland is a very musical nation.
"A lot of chief conductors of good orchestras are Finnish."
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra music director Pietari Inkinen and concertmaster Vesa-Matti Leppanen are both from Finland.
Ms Bevin moved to London to study in 2010, and six months ago won a place in the London Philharmonic Orchestra Foyle Future Firsts programme to develop professional musicians.
In November, she told the Otago Daily Times her plan was to spend several years studying, before trying out for orchestras in Europe.
"I can stop practising now," she joked.
"Actually, the next few years in the orchestra are going to be very busy, as I have to get to know the repertoire."
She is also learning about Finland.
"Did you know they have 4000 reindeer-related car accidents a year?" she mused.
Ms Bevin was returning to London yesterday to prepare for her move to Finland in July.
