Artists
Santtu-Matias Rouvali – conductor
Bruce Liu – piano
Programme
Nielsen Overture, Helios
Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2
Sibelius Symphony No. 5
We return to the Sage Gateshead for the first time since 2011, led by our Principal Conductor.
Bruce Liu, winner of the Chopin International Piano Competition in 2021, is the soloist in Rachmaninov’s captivating Piano Concerto No. 2. Full of rich, Romantic intensity, and with a fiendish cadenza, it’s one of the most difficult – and rewarding – pieces within the piano repertoire.
Sibelius’s Symphony No. 5 starts with a whisper from horns and timpani that grows into a glorious evocation of sunrise. In the finale comes the moment Sibelius fans have been waiting for – the magnificent ‘swan’ theme, with its jubilant horn chords and sweeping strings. Sibelius wrote it after witnessing 16 swans in flight: “One of the great experiences of my life! God, how beautiful,” he wrote in his diary.
Need to know
Prices & Discounts
£19 – £46
Discounts for groups and concessions available
Running time
1 hr 45 mins, including 20-minute interval
Recommended age
Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult
Box office
Sage Gateshead: 0191 443 4661