The Glasshouse

Off the back of a wonderful weekend of the BBC Proms in the North East and the orchestra’s first international tour post-pandemic, Royal Northern Sinfonia and Dinis Sousa announce the extension of his role as Principal Conductor for a further three years.

Sousa took up the role in September 2021. This extension for a further three years takes the vibrant collaboration between conductor and orchestra through to summer 2027, spanning Sage Gateshead’s 20th birthday in December 2024.

Sousa’s contribution to the programming of artists and repertoire, as well as concert formats, more regional touring and the developing partnership with the BBC has brought fresh energy to the orchestra.

This extension comes off the back of a hugely successful year for Dinis, including a tour of Mahler’s Fifth Symphony with Orquestra XXI (of which Dinis is Founder and Artistic Director) which scooped up five-star reviews from The Times and Evening Standard. 2023 also saw Dinis lead the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique in a tour of Berlioz’s Les Troyens to five of Europe’s most prestigious festivals, including debuts at Berlin Musikfest and Salzburg Festival and culminating at BBC Proms, which was broadcast live on BBC Radio 3.

Some of the highlights of Royal Northern Sinfonia with Dinis Sousa in the coming season at Sage Gateshead and across the region, include all of Schumann’s Symphonies and the deeply romantic Das Paradies und die Peri with a fantastic cast and the Chorus of Royal Northern Sinfonia; the opening concert on Saturday 16 September featuring the world premiere of a new commission from Cassandra Miller entitled Swim alongside Elisabeth Leonskaja in Beethoven’s Emperor concerto; Brahms’ second piano concerto with Sunwook Kim alongside Justé Januliyté exquisite Elongation of Nights; Clara Schumann’s dazzling Piano Concerto with Isata Kanneh-Mason; Christian Tetzlaff in Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor alongside Naomi Pinnock’s The field is woven; and a season finale which juxtaposes Steven Isserlis in Dvořák’s Cello Concerto with Kristine Tjøgersen’s Between Trees.

A renewed partnership with BBC Radio 3 will see four Royal Northern Sinfonia concerts broadcast across the season, including three with Sousa at the helm. The first of which, a world premiere for orchestra from Cassandra Miller will be broadcast on 26 September.

After the huge success of The People’s Requiem in 2022, Sousa will direct a further large scale project next year creating opportunities for people across the region to take part in more large scale works.

In the North, Sousa conduct the orchestra in its main hubs outside Newcastle Gateshead – Middlesbrough, Carlisle, Sunderland and Kendal.

In addition, together they will tour Birmingham, Nottingham, Cardiff and Bristol in February 2024.

In tandem, Royal Northern Sinfonia is delighted that the rapidly rising star, Maria Włoszczowska, will remain in the North East fundament. A superb solo violinist, outstanding orchestra leader and gathering acclaim for her performance direction, Włoszczowska is to become Artistic Partner in autumn 2024, a role which was created especially for her.

This new role with Royal Northern Sinfonia develops Włoszczowska’s influence on the programme, working closely with Sousa and Director of Classical and Royal Northern Sinfonia James Thomas, with a focus on directing, solo and chamber work, as well as continuing to lead the orchestra on occasion.

Włoszczowska’s artistry and unique approach have already been showcased across the whole region in repertoire ranging from Beethoven Symphonies and Mozart concertos to Bartók and contemporary composers.

In this coming season, audiences can see her in action directing Angela Hewitt in two Mozart piano concertos alongside his Prague Symphony, directing Schubert’s Death and the Maiden and Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante for violin, viola and orchestra with Timothy Ridout, and the ever-popular Royal Northern Sinfonia by Candlelight at Christmas

Director of Royal Northern Sinfonia & Classical Programme at Sage Gateshead, James Thomas said:

“The relationship that Dinis and Maria have created with the orchestra is incredibly special so we’re really excited to be able to continue and develop that in the coming years.

We’ve achieved much together in a short space of time with audience numbers on the rise, new and renewed regional relationships, our first concerts together overseas and a hugely successful BBC Proms weekend at Sage Gateshead. Extending Dinis’ contract and creating this new role for Maria allows us to plan more extraordinary musical experiences for audiences in Gateshead and further afield. It’s an exciting time for the orchestra and for classical music in the North-East!”

Principal Conductor of Royal Northern Sinfonia Dinis Sousa said:

“Over the last two years I’ve had some of the most thrilling and memorable musical experiences of my life with this orchestra. Their collective spirit of constant curiosity and risk-taking is so inspiring, and the bond we have formed in these two years on and off the stage as been truly special. I’m so happy that we will continue to develop this relationship over the course of the next few years.

I’m also really excited that Maria will become our Artistic Partner. Maria is one of the most extraordinary musicians around, and her work with the orchestra so far has been remarkable. We are delighted that she will continue to work with RNS and help shape its future.”

Soon to be Artistic Partner and current leader of Royal Northern Sinfonia Maria Włoszczowska said:

“I am delighted to join the artistic leadership of Royal Northern from autumn 2024. It has been wonderful getting to know the musicians, management, staff and our audience, who all have given me such a warm welcome, over the past two seasons as Leader, and I look forward to developing these relationships even further as Artistic Partner. There is something truly special about this ensemble and its players, who are all exceptional individual musicians, always willing to give it their all and going above and beyond in service of the music.

I am also thrilled to continue working alongside Dinis Sousa. We have collaborated in different formations for some years now and I couldn’t wish for a more open-minded, honest and consummate musical partner.”

/ENDS/

Media enquiries: Jackie Thompson, Jackie.thompson@theglasshouseicm.org

Phone: 0191 4434602

Images here

About Dinis Sousa:

Dinis Sousa is Principal Conductor of the Royal Northern Sinfonia, a position he has held since April 2021. During his tenure the orchestra have performed at the BBC Proms twice, with soloists Kristian Bezuidenhout and Nicholas Daniel. During the 2023/24 season, they will present a complete cycle of Robert Schumann’s symphonies at Sage Gateshead in addition to his choral masterpiece Das Paradies und die Peri. Other highlights include a world premiere by Cassandra Miller, collaborations with soloists Christian Tetzlaff, Steven Isserlis and Elizabeth Leonskaja and several performances around the UK including Birmingham and Cardiff.

During the 2023/24 season Dinis will make his debut with the Swedish Radio and Iceland Symphony Orchestras and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, as well as returning to Edmonton Symphony and the Riga Sinfonietta. Recent engagements have included the BBC Philharmonic, Gulbenkian and Ulster Orchestras and two programmes at the Bach Carmel Festival. His operatic experience includes Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia (Nevill Holt Opera) and Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande (Orquestra XXI).

Dinis is Founder and Artistic Director of Orquestra XXI, an award-winning orchestra which brings together some of the best young Portuguese musicians from around Europe to perform in the most prestigious venues in Portugal. Marking their 10th anniversary they toured Gustav Mahler’s Fifth Symphony to international acclaim in 2023.

In 2023 Dinis led the Monteverdi Choir and Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique alongside outstanding soloists in a tour of Berlioz’s Les Troyens to five of Europe’s most prestigious festivals, including debuts at Berlin Musikfest and Salzburg Festival and culminating at BBC Proms, which was broadcast live on BBC Radio 3.

About Maria Włoszczowska

Polish violinist Maria Włoszczowska is recognised for her versatile musicianship, performing as soloist, director/concertmaster, and chamber musician.

Recent and forthcoming career highlights include her BBC Proms solo debut with Kaija Saariaho’s Vers toi qui es si loin with the Royal Northern Sinfonia and Dinis Sousa, her New York recital debut at 92NY, presenting all six Bach Sonatas for violin and keyboard with Jeremy Denk, performing the Beethoven Violin Concerto with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, and a performance of concertos by Vivaldi, Bach and Telemann with Neues Bachisches Collegium Musicum conducted by Reinhard Goebel at Leipzig Gewandhaus. As Leader of the Royal Northern Sinfonia, Maria also regularly directs the orchestra, in repertoire including works such as Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante, and Mahler’s reworking of Schubert’s Death and the Maiden quartet.

Maria appears frequently at Wigmore Hall and at international festivals such as Musikdorf Ernen in Switzerland, Lammermuir Festival and IMS Prussia Cove as well as in residency at Yellow Barn. Distinguished artists such as Jeremy Denk, Bengt Forsberg and Dinis Sousa have joined her in recital and other chamber music partners have included Thomas Adès, Alasdair Beatson, Philippe Graffin, Benjamin Grosvenor, Steven Isserlis, Steven Osborne, Hyeyoon Park, Timothy Ridout and the Doric String Quartet. The 2022-23 season saw the launch of the Valo Quartet, which Maria leads; they made their debut appearance in Brussels under the auspices of the Festival Resonances.

Recent seasons have additionally seen projects as a guest leader of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and solo appearances with UK and international ensembles, including symphonic and chamber orchestras in her home country of Poland.

Recipient of the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Emily Anderson Prize, the Hattori Foundation Senior Award and Poland’s Minister of Culture and National Heritage Prize, Maria based herself in the UK after completing her studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Hungarian violinist and conductor András Keller. In 2018 she won both First Prize and Audience Prize at the XXI Leipzig International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition.

Maria plays on a violin by Francesco Stradivari.

Royal Northern Sinfonia, orchestra of Sage Gateshead, is the UK’s only full-time chamber orchestra. Founded in 1958, RNS has built a worldwide reputation for the North East through the quality of its music-making and the immediacy of the connections the musicians make with audiences.

The orchestra regularly flies the flag for the region at major festivals, including the BBC Proms, most recently performing in the BBC Proms Weekend at Sage Gateshead. They appear frequently at venues and festivals in Europe, including La folle journée in Nantes. In recent seasons they have toured to South Korea, Vienna, Budapest, Istanbul and Tokyo.

RNS has worked with many international conductors and soloists including Christian Tetzlaff, Sir Roger Norrington, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Benjamin Grosvenor, Imogen Cooper, Jess Gillam, Nicholas McGegan, Mahan Esfahani, Viktoria Mullova and Jessica Cottis, and also collaborated with leading popular voices such as Self Esteem, Sam Fender, Sting, Ben Folds, John Grant, Mercury Rev, Field Music and Maxïmo Park.

RNS has commissioned new music by Cassandra Miller, Kerensa Briggs, David Lang, John Casken, Tansy Davies, Errollyn Wallen and James Weeks amongst others.

In order to engage with the widest possible range of artists and audience, in 2018 RNS founded its inclusive ensemble RNS Moves, and also increasingly programmes accessible and relaxed performances throughout the season.

RNS has always been actively involved in local communities and in education. This season the orchestra will perform across the region in Kendal, Middlesbrough, Carlisle, Berwick and Sunderland, and will once again take their Christmas by Candlelight tour to regional churches. Musicians support young people learning musical instruments through Sage Gateshead’s Centre for Advance Training and through In Harmony Newcastle.

About Sage Gateshead

Sage Gateshead is an international music centre for the North. The charity presents world-class music of all genres in the North East, develops children and young people’s skills and confidence, supports emerging artists and is a place where communities come together.

Royal Northern Sinfonia, orchestra of Sage Gateshead, is the UK’s only full-time chamber orchestra. Founded in 1958, Royal Northern Sinfonia has built a worldwide reputation.

Since opening in 2004, Sage Gateshead has worked side by side with partners and the wider community to help address the social and economic challenges the region faces.

Sage Gateshead has contributed £0.5billion to the North East economy and continues to be a major employer bringing investment and tourism into the region.

Sage Gateshead has brought social, cultural and educational value to over 10 million people and millions more via digital and broadcast activity. The scale of its artistic, learning and artist development activity places Sage Gateshead amongst the UK’s largest cultural organisations, while reaching a very socially and economically diverse audience.

The North East region was one of the worst affected by Covid-19. In 2020, Sage Gateshead lost £10 million in revenue as a result of the pandemic. Recovery for the region, and for cultural charities including Sage Gateshead, is set to be gradual. Arts and culture have a pivotal role to play in regional and nation-wide recovery.