The Glasshouse

This April, Royal Northern Sinfonia welcomes back one of its most cherished musical partners, Thomas Zehetmair, for two special concerts celebrating the music of Jean Sibelius.

Now Conductor Laureate of Royal Northern Sinfonia, Zehetmair reunites with the orchestra he led as Music Director for over a decade, marking a long-standing relationship that spans more than 25 years.

Performances take place on:
Friday 24 April 2026, 7.30pm – The Glasshouse, Gateshead
Sunday 26 April 2026, 3.00pm – Middlesbrough Town Hall

The programme centres on Sibelius, opening with Finlandia – one of those pieces that feels instantly familiar, even on first hearing, and an evocative tribute to the composer’s homeland – and culminating in his Symphony No. 2. From its warm and welcoming opening to its expansive sense of scale, the symphony builds in intensity before arriving at a blazing, triumphant conclusion.

Alongside these works sits Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in D minor, a rarely performed piece written when the composer was just 13. Full of youthful freedom and invention, it provides a striking contrast within the programme. Zehetmair takes on the dual role of conductor and soloist, putting down the baton to perform the concerto from the violin.

Thomas Zehetmair said:
“What a pleasure to return to my beloved North East! Two hugely popular and musically as well as historically important symphonic pieces frame a seldomly played jewel of a concerto. I look forward to performing this special programme and to meeting my friends again.”

Programme
Jean Sibelius Finlandia
Felix Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in D minor
Jean Sibelius Symphony No. 2