The Glasshouse

Classical music is for everyone, and The Glasshouse International Centre for Music‘s house orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia, couldn’t agree more. As The Glasshouse continues to celebrate its 20th birthday throughout 2025, Royal Northern Sinfonia will bring captivating compositions, family-friendly treats, and infectious personalities to the venue as part of its 2024/25 season.

Epic. Spine tingling. Here’s Johnny!
On 6 February, Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson will join Royal Northern Sinfonia and Principal Conductor Dinis Sousa for a monumental programme blending atmospheric compositions. Music lovers will hear Kaija Saariaho’s ethereal Ciel, and Bartók’s Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta, which famously featured in the film The Shining. The evening will conclude with Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 2.

Bright. Direct.  A refreshing musical shower.
On 21 March, Violinist Maria Włoszczowska, Royal Northern Sinfonia’s Artistic Partner, is known for her incredible energy and passion and is much-loved by The Glasshouse’s audiences. Włoszczowska will lead the orchestra through a selection of Bach’s works, including his Violin Concertos and Orchestral Suite No. 3. This concert offers a satisfying journey through Bach’s timeless, bright melodies.

Heroic. Gripping. Music with the wow factor.
On 4 April, conductor Stephanie Childress and pianist Piotr Anderszewski, praised by The Guardian for his “raw and astonishing” performances, will light up the stage with the orchestra. The programme will feature Benn Lunn’s Sonnet, Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 ‘From the New World’, which fans will recognise from the iconic Hovis advert directed by Ridley Scott.

Slapstick. Poignant. Get gold rush fever.
On 6 April, having brought City Lights and Modern Times to The Glasshouse, the orchestra will complete the hat-trick by performing the soundtrack to Charlie Chaplin’s The Gold Rush. As part of the film’s 100th birthday year celebrations, Royal Northern Sinfonia, with guest conductor Stefan Geiger, will bring Chaplin’s rags to riches tale to life, charming film and music fans alike.

Daring. Adventurous. Monstrous fun.
On 15 and 16 April, families looking for an adventure at The Glasshouse can see The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom, based on Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s popular children’s books. Royal Northern Sinfonia, guest conductor Terry Davies and guitarist Huw Davies will perform the music that has been a part of countless childhoods as the films play on the big screen.

Wit. Grandeur. An opera in disguise.
On 9 May, Nil Venditti, Principal Guest Conductor of Royal Northern Sinfonia, is a firecracker and joy to watch, always bringing vibrancy and a sense of fun to The Glasshouse’s stages. Venditti will conduct Royal Northern Sinfonia, joined by four remarkable soloists and Chorus of Royal Northern Sinfonia, in a performance of Rossini’s lively Overture to The Barber of Seville, Mozart’s majestic Symphony No. 29 and Rossini’s Stabat Mater.

This snapshot of the season shows the variety on offer for music fans of all ages, and with many more concerts up their sleeve, check out Royal Northern Sinfonia’s full programme here.

-ENDS-

Press enquiries:

Beverley Knight: beverley.knight@theglasshouseicm.org
0191 443 4583
Susie Gray: susie.gray@premiercomms.com
07834 073795
Images:

Víkingur Ólafsson – IMAGE
Maria Włoszczowska credit TyneSight Photographic Services – IMAGE
Stephanie Childress – IMAGE
Charlie Chaplin credit © Roy Export S.A.S. – IMAGE
Nill Venditti credit TyneSight Photographic Services – IMAGE
The Gruffalo and Room on a Broom – IMAGE

Listings:

Thursday 6 February | 7:30pm
Víkingur Ólafsson plays Brahms

Kaija Saariaho Ciel d’hiver (9’)
Béla Bartók Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta (27’)
Johannes Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 (46’)

Dinis Sousa conductor
Víkingur Ólafsson piano
Royal Northern Sinfonia

Friday 21 March | 7:30pm
Bach Violin Concertos

Johann Sebastian Bach Sinfonia from Cantata No. 174 (5’)
Johann Sebastian Bach Sinfonia from Cantata No. 4 (1’30”)
Johann Sebastian Bach Violin Concerto No. 2 (16’)
Johann Sebastian Bach Sinfonia from Cantata No. 21 (3’)
Johann Sebastian Bach Sinfonia in D major (6’)
Johann Sebastian Bach Violin Concerto No. 1 (14’)
Johann Sebastian Bach Chaconne from D Minor solo partita (12’)
Johann Sebastian Bach Orchestral Suite No. 3 (20’)

Maria Włoszczowska director/violin
Royal Northern Sinfonia

Friday 4 April | 7:30pm
Dvořák’s New World Symphony

Ben Lunn Sonnet
Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1 (36’)
Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 9 ‘From the New World’ (40’)

Stephanie Childress conductor
Piotr Anderszewski piano
Royal Northern Sinfonia

Sunday 6 April | 3pm
Charlie Chaplin’s The Gold Rush

The live soundtrack to the film Charlie Chaplin’s The Gold Rush.
Music for The Gold Rush Copyright © Roy Export Company Ltd. and Bourne Co. All rights reserved
Charlie Chaplin™ © Bubbles Incorporated S.A.

Stefan Geiger conductor
Royal Northern Sinfonia

15 and 16 April | 11am, 2pm, 3pm
The Gruffalo and Room on a Broom 

Music from the films The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom.
© Orange Eyes Limited 2009.
© Orange Eyes Limited 2012.

Terry Davies conductor
Huw Davies guitar
Royal Northern Sinfonia

Royal Northern Sinfonia
Internationally renowned, calling Gateshead home.

37 musicians at the top of their game. Electrifying music, old and new. All the talent, determination and creativity of the North East on a worldwide stage. From their home at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music, Royal Northern Sinfonia share the joy and wonder of orchestral music with thousands of people across the North of England – and beyond – every year.

From symphonies to string quartets, film soundtracks to choral masses, and original performances with awesome artists from Sheku Kanneh-Mason to Self Esteem, the orchestra’s members have got one of the most varied jobs there is. They’re always looking for fresh new sounds from up-and-coming composers, inviting local communities to share a stage, and doing everything they can to inspire and prepare the musicians of tomorrow to one day take their place.

They’re also working hard to smash the barriers that can stop brilliant people getting into classical music. They’ve teamed up with national partners to support women conductors to develop their careers, to help global majority musicians get vital experience in the orchestra world, and to celebrate disabled and non-disabled musicians breaking new ground together in RNS Moves. And they bring new musical opportunities to the region, headlining the first-ever BBC Proms weekend outside London.

Because they whole-heartedly believe orchestral music is for anyone – big cities and tiny villages, brand-new babies and life-long listeners, die-hard fans and curious minds – they travel far and wide to make sure there’s top-notch classical music on offer for anyone ready to say “I’ll give that a go”. You’ll find them in churches, castles, and community venues across the North, as well as spearheading concert seasons in Carlisle, Kendal, Middlesbrough, and Sunderland.

With 65 years of success to build on, they’ve signed a dynamic young artistic leadership -Principal Conductor Dinis Sousa, Artistic Partner Maria Włoszczowska and Principal Guest Conductor Nil Venditti – to lead the way into a bold, bright future.

Wherever the orchestra play and whoever they share a stage with, every performance is a chance to see, hear and feel the music.

About The Glasshouse International Centre for Music 

The Glasshouse International Centre for Music is a home for live music lovers.

It’s a place where you can hear rock legends or pop icons on the same night as folk trios or string quartets. Where new musicians are nurtured and showcased on the same stages as platinum-selling performers. And where youth choirs and tambourine-shaking toddlers practise in the same spaces as its acclaimed orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia.

Because as an international centre for music they’re focused on creating and celebrating outstanding music – whether that’s unearthing or growing talent from the region or bringing the world’s best artists to their stages. And as a charity they’re focused on making sure all of that is available to anyone – no matter where you’re from, how old you are, how much money you have, or what challenges you face.

Which is why every year more than 2 million people are able to join for top-notch gigs, concerts, and classes – in their venue at Gateshead Quays, out in communities across the North East, and through livestreamed performances and digital lessons.

Whether you’re making it up or taking it in, you’ll find music lives and grows there.

More about The Glasshouse International Centre for Music

• From global stars to artists starting out, The Glasshouse has hosted 10,022 performances, totalling 4.7m tickets. To have seen every performance would have meant seeing one show every day for 27 years.
• It’s hosted over 220,000 music lessons for North East folk. The region’s young people have learnt to play, sing or produce with us, on over 1.7m occasions.
• Royal Northern Sinfonia perform at The Glasshouse, tour the region, and have played to international audiences on four continents, with livestreams reaching people across five.
• Like stepping stones, artists like Ward Thomas have worked their way from their free stages to selling out its big hall and getting global recognition.
• The Glasshouse regularly opens its doors to a wide range of conferences and events. Since 2004, they’ve welcome over 400,000 delegates from the likes of Greggs, NHS and British Engines, and many, many more.
• The charity is one of Gateshead’s biggest employers, and so far its generated £500m of economic value to the region.
• The charity has been the proud guardians of The Glasshouse for almost 20 years, safeguarding it when live music was put on hold during the pandemic.
• The centre has 630 panes of glass and stands 40m tall.