Audiences will return to Sage One at The Glasshouse this weekend following a £4m programme of work which has brought the concert hall its most significant improvements since opening more than 20 years ago.
The Gateshead venue will reopen tomorrow (September 19, when Royal Northern Sinfonia launches its new Classical season with Mozart’s Così fan tutte.
Much of the work carried out over recent months won’t necessarily be obvious from the auditorium. Behind the scenes, Sage One has gained a new powered flying system, refurbished stage lifts and automated orchestral risers, alongside a completely renewed stage and upgrades to its cooling systems.
The work has also prompted the first comprehensive assessment of the hall’s acoustics since The Glasshouse opened in 2004.1
Royal Northern Sinfonia musicians have spent this week working with acousticians to test and fine-tune the space ahead of Saturday’s reopening.
Among those returning to the hall was Ian Knowles, one of the original acousticians involved in its design more than two decades ago.
He said: “It’s fantastic to return over 20 years after helping design the hall and be involved in this latest chapter of its development. The new automated stage risers are particularly significant, delivering improvements that weren’t possible when the venue was first built.
“They give the orchestra greater flexibility and allow musicians to feel even more connected to the space, the music and the audience, enhancing what was already a world-class acoustic.”
Saturday’s Così fan tutte will bring together Royal Northern Sinfonia and its chorus with an international cast led by music director Dinis Sousa. Soprano Christina Gansch, whose recent engagements have included performances in San Francisco, Zurich and at London’s Royal Opera House, is among the singers.
Sousa said: “Opening a new season is always special, but this year feels particularly significant.
“Over the last few weeks, our Sage One has had a completely new stage fitted in and we’ve used this opportunity to fine-tune the acoustics for the first time since the opening in 2004, with some of the original acousticians who helped create the hall.
“This is our home, and the investment that’s been made will help keep it in top shape for years to come. We’re excited to welcome audiences back this weekend for Mozart’s Così fan tutte and to begin a new season together.”
The £4m investment represents the first phase of The Glasshouse’s Capital Works programme and has been supported by a mixture of trusts, foundations, public bodies and individual donors.
Anyone else feeling older than they were before they read that?