Heralded as one of the most important pianists to emerge from the UK in several decades, Benjamin Grosvenor was announced as one of two Artists in Focus alongside vocalist Dame Sarah Connolly, both of whom feature throughout Sage Gateshead’s classical season, each performing three concerts.
Benjamin Grosvenor’s first performance as Sage Gateshead ‘Artist in Focus’ was on October 9th 2022, and saw him take to the stage alongside London Philharmonic Orchestra for an enchanting and emotive evening, performing Mendelssohn’s glittering Piano First Concerto.
On April 14th and 15th Grosvenor will perform alongside fellow classical superstars, violinist Nicola Benedetti and cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, opening with award winning Swedish composer Britta Byström’s miniature Walk to Beethoven. In his final performance this Spring, Benjamin will take to the stage on May 14th to perform a solo recital of Piano Greats, performing a diverse programme featuring Schumann’s lively Kreisleriana and Prokofiev’s dramatic Piano Sonata No.7
Benjamin Grosvenor said:
“It was a thrill to open my residency as Sage Gateshead Artist in Focus with the London Philharmonic and Edward Gardner in Mendelssohn’s effervescent first Piano Concerto to such a warm and appreciative audience earlier this month.
I greatly look forward to returning to Sage Gateshead in the Spring to perform Beethoven’s Triple concerto with Nicola Benedetti and Sheku Kanneh-Mason (14 April) with the superb musicians of the Royal Northern Sinfonia and their conductor Dinis Sousa, and exactly a month later for a solo recital featuring works by Schumann and Ravel (14 May) in this beautiful hall.”
Listings
14 April, 19:30
15 April, 15:00
RNS: Benedetti, Grosvenor & Kanneh- Mason
Conductor: Dinis Sousa
Violin: Nicola Benedetti
Piano: Benjamin Grosvenor
Cello: Sheku Kanneh-Mason
Royal Northern Sinfonia
Britta Byström Walk to Beethoven
Ludwig Van Beethoven Triple Concerto
Felix Mendelssohn Symphony No. 4 ‘Italian’
14 May, 15:00
Piano Greats: Benjamin Grosvenor
Piano: Benjamin Grosvenor
Johann Sebastian Bach (arr. Busoni) Chaconne
Robert Schumann Kreisleriana Maurice Ravel Tomean de Couperin
Sergei Prokofiev Sonata No. 7
Ryal 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 Handel’s Water Music at Stage @theDock in Hull – the first Prom performed outside of London since 1930. They appear frequently at venues and festivals in Europe, including La folle journée in Nantes. In recent seasons they have toured to Vienna, Budapest, Istanbul and Tokyo.
RNS has worked with many international conductors and soloists including Christian Tetzlaff, Sir Roger Norrington, Paul McCreesh, Jess Gillam, Nicholas McGegan, Mahan Esfahani, Viktoria Mullova and Jessica Cottis, and also collaborated with leading popular voices such as Sting, Ben Folds, John Grant, Mercury Rev, Field Music and Maxïmo Park.
RNS has commissioned new music by David Lang, John Casken, Tansy Davies, Errollyn Wallen and James Weeks amongst others, and runs an annual Young Composers Competition.
In order to engage with the widest possible range of artists and audiences, 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. Musicians support young people learning musical instruments through Sage Gateshead’s Centre for Advanced Training and through In Harmony Newcastle
