The Glasshouse

This September, The Glasshouse International Centre for Music launches a new season of concerts, continuing its 20th anniversary year with a line-up that spans international stars, homegrown artists and new creative projects.

Alongside headline concerts, the season also brings opportunities for everyone to get involved and make music together.

Gig highlights:

Self Esteem, one of the UK’s most exciting artists, returns to The Glasshouse on Wednesday 17 September, following her Prioritise Pleasure tour and a standout BBC Proms set with Royal Northern Sinfonia.

On Friday 19 September, Miss Rory brings her brand-new show Live, Laugh, LIVE! to Gateshead, packed with razor-sharp wit and outrageous stories.

Black Country, New Road perform on Saturday 20 September, joined by Brighton’s The New Eves.

On Sunday 21 September, Rufus Wainwright joins the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra for Want Symphonic, reimagining his landmark albums Want One and Want Two.

Lisa O’Neill (Thursday 25 September), The Friday Night Club with The Unthanks (Friday 26 September), and The Orchestral Qawwali Project, a groundbreaking fusion of Western classical, South Asian music, and Indian classical dance, (Saturday 27 September) continue a diverse September run.

In October, highlights include Graham Nash (Saturday 4), Al Stewart (Sunday 5), Lulu (Thursday 9), The Divine Comedy (Thursday 10 – sold out), Suzanne Vega (Sunday 19), Kathryn Williams (Thursday 30) and Emma-Jean Thackray (Friday 31).

This autumn The Glasshouse also plays a key role in the Mercury Fringe, a new celebration of music across the North East leading up to the Mercury Prize in Newcastle. Events at The Glasshouse include Tim’s Listening Party with Lanterns on the Lake (Monday 13 October) and BBC Introducing From The Glasshouse: Generator x Mercury Fringe Special featuring rising artists Ernie, Nadedja and Isabel Maria (Tuesday 14 October). The wider autumn programme also welcomes Mercury nominees, including Cate Le Bon (Wednesday 15 October) and Seth Lakeman (Sunday 12 November). The Mercury Fringe builds on the success of the MOBO Fringe earlier this year, shining a spotlight on the North East as one of the UK’s most exciting music regions.

Royal Northern Sinfonia highlights:

Royal Northern Sinfonia opens the season on Saturday 13 September with a spectacular programme led by Music Director Dinis Sousa. Violin star Alena Baeva joins the orchestra for Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, alongside Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 9 and Kristine Tjøgersen’s Bioluminescence – a piece inspired by the rhythms and glow of fireflies brought to life with the orchestra and LED lights.

On Friday 3 October, Principal Guest Conductor Nil Venditti returns to The Glasshouse for one of the season’s landmark concerts. Joined by celebrated pianist Boris Giltburg, she leads Chopin’s Second Piano Concerto alongside Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 – perhaps the most famous four notes in classical music. The evening also includes Clara by Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz. This concert will be livestreamed to audiences worldwide.

Later in October (Friday 24 October), audiences can witness the debut of one of the world’s leading Baroque interpreters, Giovanni Antonini. He conducts Haydn’s London Symphony in a vibrant programme that marks the beginning of a season-long Haydn focus at The Glasshouse.

Other autumn highlights include Berio meets The Beatles on Saturday 11 October – a genre-blurring concert that fuses classical tradition with pop influences – and on Sunday 9 November, Artistic Partner Maria Włoszczowska directs the orchestra with star pianist Martin Helmchen in Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24, alongside music by Prokofiev and Stravinsky. This concert will also be livestreamed.

November brings two more special concerts. The orchestra’s first ever collaboration with international bass-baritone Bryn Terfel (Friday 21 November), performing Schubert songs conducted by Dinis Sousa, and a full-throttle celebration of pop icons ABBA in ABBAfonic (Thursday 6 November), where Royal Northern Sinfonia swap the classics for chart-topping hits.

As part of its commitment to accessibility, The Glasshouse is offering £5 tickets for North East First Timers at Royal Northern Sinfonia main series concerts and £10 tickets for under 30s through its Bar 10 scheme.

Make Music:

The Glasshouse’s Make Music programme returns bigger than ever, with classes, choirs, workshops and studio sessions for people of all ages and experience levels (from Wednesday 24 September). Whether picking up an instrument for the first time or returning after a break, everyone can find a place to make music.

The Glasshouse Studios continues to grow as a hub for writing, producing, rehearsing and recording, with expert-led courses for beginners through to seasoned creators.

This autumn also sees the launch of Spirituality in Sound, a new series of workshops led by neo-folk artist Shannon Pearl exploring the connections between music and wellbeing (2 November-20 December).

Voices of the River’s Edge (VOTRE), The Glasshouse’s choir for 18-35-year-olds is preparing for major performances this season. Free to join and open to all, VOTRE will take the stage for Home Alone and Christmas at The Glasshouse.

This autumn, The Glasshouse continues its three-year collaboration with Artistic Partners Corinne Bailey Rae, Maria Włoszczowska, The Unthanks and John Wilson’s Sinfonia of London. Together they are creating new work, inspiring young people through Make Music and bringing world-class music to stages across the region. Highlights this autumn include The Unthanks’ brand-new Friday Night Club, Maria Włoszczowska leading intimate Strauss and Mahler performances, and John Wilson and his Sinfonia of London performing a feast of English music.

-ENDS-

Media contacts:
Orla Noble, Premier Comms – orla.noble@premiercomms.com | 07808282795
Beverley Knight – beverley.knight@theglasshouseicm.org | 0191 443 4583

IMAGES

• Miss Rory
• The Orchestral Qawwali Project
• Alena Baeva credit Tynesight Media
• The Glasshouse Studios
• Shannon Pearl from Spirituality in Sound credit Adam Kennedy
• Voices of the River’s Edge Choir (VOTRE) credit Tynesight Media
• John Wilson
• Corinne Bailey Rae credit Ben Hughes

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

• Since opening in 2004, The Glasshouse has hosted over 10,000 performances, welcoming nearly 5 million audience members and a total of 8 million visitors through its doors. It would take more than 27 years to see every show if you attended one every day.
• Over two decades, the charity has delivered around 233,000 music lessons, reaching young people and adults 2.8 million times across its education programmes (1.8 million of which were young people).
• As its resident orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia has toured globally, performing across four continents and livestreaming to audiences across five. Royal Northern Sinfonia also continues to bring world-class music to communities across the country, with 58% of performances in “levelling up for culture” areas.
• The Glasshouse has supported the careers of thousands of artists like Ward Thomas who have worked their way from free stages to headline shows in its main hall, achieving national and global recognition.
• A recent report quantified its annual social value through education, inclusion and community programmes at £14.1 million.
• Since 2004, The Glasshouse has welcomed over 400,000 delegates for conferences and events, hosting organisations such as Greggs, NHS, and British Engines. Through conferences and events it has generated £10.6 million, helping to fund the venue and support live music and education programmes.
• Over the past two decades, The Glasshouse has generated £681.2million to the UK economy with £38.6m each year in ongoing impact. It supports 700 jobs directly and indirectly.
• The iconic building, designed by Foster + Partners, has 630 panes of glass and stands 40 metres tall. In its opening year, it was exhibited at the Venice Biennale and won the RIBA Inclusive Design Award in 2005.

Celebrating 20 years – In December 2024, The Glasshouse marked its 20th birthday. Over the next year, the charity will reflect on two decades of achievements and look ahead to its third decade, with major initiatives like the Music Academy and Music Pass for newborns, making music accessible to all.